Hetamon
by R.N.Walker
Summary: It's not every day England accidentally traps the nations in one of Japan's new Pokémon games. So they're stuck in an unknown world. No problem. And they're split up. Nothing new. And they're Pokémon. A minor inconvenience…So why does everything seem more lifelike than it should be? And why aren't things happening according to their programming? Is this all really just a game?
1. Chapter 1

"Well, then, shall we begin the meeting?" Germany was certainly not looking forward to the unproductiveness of this week's world gathering.

"Two minutes," he heard France smugly whisper to Russia. The larger man chuckled.

"Less than that," was his reply. Germany cast them a glare.

_Nein,_ he thought to himself, _It's probably best I _don't_ know what they're up to._ "Right, so today's meeting, like last year's, will pertain to the issue regarding global–"

"Say, Russia, why do you keep taking out your watch?" Italy interrupted.

"Oh, this?" Russia said innocently, looking as if he just noticed what he was doing, "France and I are playing a little game. We're making a bet to see how long it takes before we get off the topic of our meeting."

"Ve~! Can I play your game too?"

"Italy! Stay focused! We're holding a meeting right now!" barked Germany.

"Whoa, dudes, you're playing a game?" America shouted, "I wanna play!"

"Sure, why don't we all play!" Italy beamed.

"Italy!"

"Forty seconds– looks like I win," smiled Russia.

"You can't do that! That was cheating!" cried France. England, who was sitting across from the Frenchman, snickered.

"Don't act all surprised that you lost, frog-face."

"Honestly, you Westerners lose focus over the stupidest things," muttered China as France got up to choke the living daylights out of England.

"Dummkopfs! This is why nothing ever gets settled between us!" yelled the German.

"Please calm down, Germany," Japan said to his ally, "There's still plenty of time left in the meeting. Why don't we try talking about another–"

"Yo, Japan," America ran over to the man, "All this talk about playing reminded me to thank you for those new games you exported to me. They're a blast, man!" The sudden compliment caused Japan to fluster.

"Oh, I-I'm glad you liked them, America. The rest of the series is still under development, but I'm sure they will be made available worldwide in a few months."

"Great! They're really popular back at my place," the Allies leader said happily.

"Is that so, aru? Hey Japan, how about you let me mass produce those games for you? Of course, I'll just change the title, and probably the characters too, and call them an original."

"China, we've gone through this before–"

"Oh, Japan's got a game now for us to play?" Italy couldn't help overhearing.

"I can't take this anymore," groaned Germany as he slumped into his seat, "And you two– you're not at war, so stop trying to kill each other."

"He started it," France and England answered at the same time, though they did let go of each other's neck. Now Russia went over to hear about Japan's game, knowing that there was nothing better to do until France paid up.

"So, what is this game of yours about?" he asked Japan.

"Well, you are familiar with the Pokémon franchise, correct?" Everyone around him nodded.

"Honestly, I can't think of anyone who isn't," replied England, "Your games are being well received by my people back home."

"Same here," admitted Germany, "Though I've never gotten around to playing any of them myself."

"Oh, they're nothing too special. The games are sort of like an RPG. You take the role of a human who has turned into a Pokémon because of an evil spell, and you must find a way to break that spell and return to normal. The games are called Pokémon: Unexplored Worlds, or UW for short."

"Or as I sometimes like to call them Pokémon: Triple U," America interjected. England sighed.

"America, there is something seriously wrong with your addition…and your manner of thinking in general." But the younger nation didn't hear as he was too busy searching through his pockets to find the handheld to pass around.

"Hahahaha! You guys can totally try it out. The eight of us can take turns playing."

"Eight? But there are nine people in the room," Japan corrected his friend. Everyone paused and did a headcount.

"You're right," said Italy.

"Who are we forgetting?" China wondered.

"I'm right here," a soft-spoken voice called out.

"Gah! Who said that?" cried France.

"My guess it was him," Russia answered, pointing to America's brother sitting at the very end of the table. Canada waved shyly.

"Oh, there you are…uh…" Germany didn't want to admit he forgot the guy's name.

"I'm Canada."

"Right, sorry about that Canada." But his apology was interrupted when he heard a fist bang the table and America's laughter coming from England's side of the table.

"Dare to repeat that, you wanker?" England barked at France.

"You heard me: you can't do anything right. I mean, come now, only you could fail a personality test that has over six hundred possible outcomes."

"Urg, the game's just bugged, that's all." England grabbed the handheld from America. "Here, I'll fix it with one of my magic charms."

"I don't think that's a good idea!" Japan hurried over to stop England from messing with his game.

"Once you fix it, can I have a go?" Italy came over as well.

"No, it'll be my turn. I wonder what my character would be," mused Russia. Canada came over as well, more for wanting to be noticed by the group than interested in what was going on. China got up and made his way to the door.

"I'm going home. It's clear nothing's going to get solved today."

"No, you're staying here." Germany grabbed him by the sleeve, pulling him back to his seat.

"Hey, let go! This is fine silk!"

"No one's leaving until we can settle at least one problem on the list."

"Dude, England, I think you just busted it even more," America laughed as the handheld starting making a strange whirring noise after England cast a charm on it.

"See, I told you he couldn't do anything," taunted France, trying to snatch the device back.

"Okay, Francey-pants, how's this for something. Velox Config-waah! Careful you gi–!" But he didn't finish his insult to France as the device suddenly flashed violently, blinding everyone in the room.

"Aaah! Germanyyyy!"

* * *

The scent of sweet, springtime grass filled his nose and woke him from his slumber. Birds chirped merrily in the distance. The serene calmness of the neighboring forest was a complete contrast to the chaos happening inside the conference room, which was ever so welcoming. He could just stay here forever, he mused, enjoying the delightful comfort of the sun's warmth and the blanket of colorful wildflowers surrounding him.

_Wait a minute_–_ how did I end up outside?_ Germany's thought suddenly brought him back to reality. "Italy! Japan!" he cried out to his friends. But no one was around. "Where did they go? And more importantly, where am I?" the blond-haired man wondered as he stood up. "Strange, the ground seems to be of higher elevation here."

The best course of action would be to question the inhabitants of the area of his location. Since there appeared to be mountains to the east (which were never there before he entered the building) and more empty grassland to the west and north, perhaps he should first explore the forest to the south. Maybe there was a town on the other side.

Germany entered the woods, a little surprised by how much larger-than-normal the foliage was. One large bush was almost as tall as he was. "Italyyy! Japaaan!" Still no response, though Germany could have sworn he heard whispering from the trees above him. But there was no one above him save for some bizarre looking birds eyeing him nervously. They were sky blue in color and had what looked like wings made of white cotton.

Germany had no interest in the oddities and continued his search. "Verdammt, answer me guys! Where are you? Ita–?" What sounded like giggling floated through from some nearby bushes. Pushing through, he found himself at the bank of a tiny pond. In front of him, completely engrossed in his reflection, was a small and brown fox-like animal, though it had long ears like a rabbit. But what made it truly extraordinary was that this creature was talking.

"Oh, wow, I look completely different. I wonder what happened to me. But I do look kinda adorable. Hey, I got a tail, what do you know! Aha, I bet Germany would be surprised to see me now. Say, I wonder where my–"

_That voice_–_ it couldn't be?_ "Italy?" Germany stepped forward.

The fox turned around and screamed. "Waaah! Please don't hurt me! I'm too young to die! I didn't mean to trespass in your area, I just thought this place looked nice and I wanted to rest! I don't mean to upset you. Please, I'll do anything, just don't eat meeee!"

"Italy, it's me, Germany!"

"Germany?" the fox looked at him, "Wow, you sure fooled me! You look pretty scary. I thought you were a monster coming to eat me."

"Huh?" Germany had no idea what Italy (at least, he was pretty sure that was him) was talking about.

"Come see," Italy beckoned toward the water. Curious, Germany followed.

"HOLY FÜH–! WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO ME!"

"I don't know, but your face is very terrifying. You know, you kinda remind me of Blackie a little." Indeed, Germany's reflection showed him as a large black dog with flaming orange markings. A whip-like tail hovered above him, ending in a triangular point. Claws lined his now paws and two horns protruded from his head. In fact, the only resemblance to his former appearance was his still neatly combed back hair and blue eyes.

"This is bad," growled Germany, "Somehow England was able to teleport us away from the meeting center and turn us into strange-looking dogs. Come on, let's find Japan before going to look for the others."

"No need, I am right here." The two paused as another canid creature walked into the clearing. It had silky white fur and a black face and claws. A sickle-shaped extension protruded from the right side of its head, and it had a tail shaped like a kunai knife. "I heard you screaming all the way from where I woke up."

"Whoa, Japan is that you? You look pretty scary too, though not as much as Germany."

"Japan, how do you suppose we got here, and what kind of animals do you reckon England turned us into?" Germany questioned as Japan walked over to examine himself in the pond.

"Just as I feared," muttered Japan, "I don't think we're on Earth anymore."

"Not on Earth? What do you mean?"

"We've somehow ended up in the game. And now that we've become players, I fear we won't be able to leave so easily."

"So then, we're stuck here?" Germany paled.

"Not entirely. I bet if we win the game we'll be able to go home."

"V-very well, then that shall be our objective."

"Say, Japan," Italy spoke out, "Since you were the one who created this game can you tell us what we are?"

"Oh, well, if I remember correctly you, Italy, are an Eevee– a curious Pokémon that specializes in speedy getaways."

"Ooh, I like that!" beamed Italy.

"Ja, but totally useless in battle," growled Germany. "I look pretty powerful. What kind of, er, animal am I?"

"You're a Houndoom, a fire manipulator able to deal great damage with your sharp claws and fangs. As for me, I believe I am an Absol."

"What's your special ability?"

"Reading the atmosphere."

_Not much of an ability,_ thought Germany.

"So where to now?" Italy asked. Germany glanced around. They could continue searching the woods for any kind of civilization, but what use would that be if no one could understand them?

"Excuse me," a tiny voice called out, "But are you three lost?"

* * *

This ends the first chapter. Wow, looking back, I feel I made this chapter overwhelming comical. Don't worry, the plot will become much more serious after this point. I've decided to use this space to provide side notes and trivia regarding why I picked what Pokémon the main characters would be.

_Pokémon: Unexplored Worlds_- The Hetalia universe's equivalent to Pokémon: Mystery Dungeon and is almost identical in gameplay. However, unlike Mystery Dungeon, Unexplored Worlds doesn't focus on building a rescue team; rather a group of 2 – 4 players just try to reach the end without dying.

"Spotlight: Italy/Eevee"- To be quite honest, Italy was the second hardest character to pick a Pokémon for (the first was Canada, whom you'll see later). I considered going with the commonly paired Pokémon people tend to give Italy (i.e. Pikachu and Plusle/Minun) but since I made many of the other characters the Pokémon fans often associate them with I wanted to make him something he's not always paired with. I eventually chose Eevee for a number of reasons. One is, in the first Mystery Dungeon games, Eevee is considered to have a naïve personality (granted, the option is only available for girls, but still); and, well, Italy's…not exactly the brightest character in the series. But he's cute, sweet, loyal, and affectionate– just like an Eevee. He also has great potential, just as Eevee has the potential to become one of seven different evolutions. Lastly, Eevee has the ability Run Away, which, quite frankly, nails Italy perfectly.

I sincerely apologize for the large delay in the premier of this story, but I...actually, that's a story best kept under wraps as to why I wasn't near a computer all day. The second chapter should be up soon, but afterwards, updates will be far less frequent. Sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

The three canines turned around. Behind them stood a tiny puppy, smaller than even Italy. It had cream-colored fur with a navy blue tuft of fur on its back. It also spoke again.

"So are you lost?"

"Hai," Japan answered the creature since Germany and Italy were too shocked to respond, "Could you please help us?"

The puppy smiled nervously. "…S-sure! You guys are pretty large, but I'm sure my village elder can be able to help you. Just follow me." The puppy dashed off, and the three nations-turned-Pokémon followed after. They travelled some ways through the forest, eventually coming to a humongous sakura tree in bloom. It was at least fifty times their size.

"Mien Gott," breathed Germany, "This tree is huge." At the base of the tree were crudely constructed huts made of leaves and sticks. Various Pokémon hustled about, all of them different sizes and shapes and foreign-looking to Germany. It didn't take long for them to notice the three towering visitors. "Where are we now?"

"This is the great Kotree. This is also my home village."

What appeared to be an oversized green caterpillar waddled up to them. "Lillipup, who are they? Why did you bring outsiders?" Italy and Germany flinched, clearly still having trouble accepting the fact these strange animals could talk.

"They're lost, Caterpie, so of course I've gotta' help them. It's part of my training."

"But you didn't have to bring them _here_," a spider-like creature wailed.

"It's okay, Joltick, I'm only going to take them to the elder. You wouldn't have seen him, have you?" A few Pokémon whispered amongst themselves about revealing their elder's location. Finally, a small dark blue swallow flapped up into the high branches. Germany could just make out it saying "Elder, some strangers have come."

As the four waited for the elder to show himself, the other Pokémon rushed to be anywhere but there. Within seconds, the area was clear except for those four. "Why do you think they ran away?" voiced Italy.

"Because they don't take well to strangers," a high-pitched voice squeaked. Looking up, the group spotted a grey squirrel-like Pokémon draped with flowing white hair climbing down from the tree's highest branches. "Please don't judge them; it's only natural they detest foreign Pokémon such as yourselves."

"But we're not–" Germany started before Japan nudged him.

"We don't need to create more suspicion for ourselves," he whispered under his breath. The Houndoom nodded.

"Lillipup, who are these guests that you've brought?"

"Oh, they are…" the puppy trailed off. "Ah! I forgot to ask for introductions before bringing them here! Gah, um, I'm Lillipup, as you've just heard, and this is Elder Cinccino." Elder Cinccino sighed.

"Really, Lillipup, your desire to help is admirable, but proper courtesy and introductions must always be a priority. Now let's try it again, correctly this time." The puppy bowed.

"I'm sorry; yes sir." He turned to the trio. "It would be an honor to be of assistance to you. Would you be so kind as to tell me your names?"

"I'm Germany, and these are Japan and Italy." Both Lillipup's and Elder Cinccino's eyes widened.

"You have nicknames?" the puppy gasped.

"Nicknames? No, they are our actual names," stated Germany.

"What do you mean? Aren't your actual names your species names? 'Germany,' 'Japan,' and 'Italy' are nicknames. So are you guys Pokélites?"

"Lillipup!" Elder Cinccino scolded after noticing the three's puzzled looks, "Did you perhaps consider they come from a land that doesn't follow our customs? If they tell you something you must accept it as truth." Lillipup's ears and tail drooped.

"I apologize elder. I'm making a lot of mistakes today." His mentor sighed again.

"Indeed, but you're just excited since this is your first time putting your training to practice. Please pardon him," he said, returning his attention back to the three, "He's not usually like this; he has proper training, just no experience in applying it."

"That's okay," Italy grinned, "I don't really know what's going on, but I can tell you guys are trying your best to help us." Elder Cinccino smiled.

"Come this way Germany, Japan, and Italy. My nest is just beyond the tree roots. I will be of better aid there." The chinchilla and puppy scampered over the roots effortlessly. Japan and Germany didn't have much of a problem either, but Italy, who was much smaller than the two, had difficulty getting himself up the very first root.

"Wow, you make it look so easy," he puffed as he struggled to pull himself up. Wishing to speed up the process, Germany extended his paw.

"Grab hold," he ordered. Italy did so, and the larger friend pulled him up. The three cleared the obstacle and slid down into a rather wide and grassy ditch located behind the Kotree.

"So, it's safe to assume you three aren't from around here?" Elder Cinccino asked, seating himself in the middle.

"You are correct," answered Japan, "Our home is…very far away from here."

"Yeah, in fact you could say we're not even from this world," Italy blurted out.

"Italy, you dolt!" roared Germany, "You weren't supposed to say that!"

"Oh my…" Germany could tell the squirrel-like Pokémon's complexion changed but otherwise kept his demeanor and voice calm. "Well, I must admit I've never heard anything like that. 'Not from our world'…I wonder what's the best way to solve this dilemma…"

"Not that this is of a concern but you are taking this very well," Japan observed. Elder Cinccino looked up at him.

"Yes, well, as an elder it is my duty to help all those who come to me with a problem no matter how strange it may seem. I can't risk becoming excited over even the most ridiculous of sounding stories; my job is to provide the best advice possible." Japan looked intrigued by his words. "Tell me this: how familiar are you to our world?"

_Is it worth telling these creatures our secret?_ Germany pondered. He decided it was. "Not very. The three of us are humans. A friend of ours somehow transported us here and we awoke as these Monstren. Japan is the most familiar about this world out of the three of us, but Italy and I understand hardly anything. If there's any vital information that could help us go home, it would be wise to tell us now."

"Humans? I've never heard of such a word, and I would advise you not saying it outside of this village. People tend to get suspicious of folk who are aware of things others are not. If they learn of your origins, they may brand you as harbingers of doom."

"We shall keep that in mind," said Germany. His two friends nodded in agreement.

"Good, because I am about to send you on a rather treacherous journey. Lillipup, the map please." The cream puppy happily dashed over to the tree and stuck its head inside one of the numerous holes dotting the trunk. He pulled out a large rolled up leaf with his mouth. Lillipup handed the map to the elder, who unfurled it in front of the guests. The map, painted with such a surprising amount of detail that Germany would have sworn it was made by human hands, showed two distinct land masses: one green and grey, the other green and yellow. Between them was a vast blue ocean.

"This is our world," explained Elder Cinccino, "Our continent is this one, called Palsama. It's this mountainous landmass to the west. The other continent to the east is Diasama. It has dry lands and deserts along its southern half. And the ocean separating the two is the Gir-Ou Ocean."

"Your world is…so simple," Germany couldn't help stating, "You have no countries or territories?"

"Not effectively. There are territorial boundaries certain lines of Pokémon claim, but they are far and few between and most of the time go ignored. Mostly there are tiny villages scattered throughout the continent. Kotree Village is here, near the base of Mount Gold. As you can see, on the other side of the mountains lies the sea. If there is any chance of returning you to your world, it will be on a small island in the middle of the Gir-Ou Ocean called Kaos Island. There is a shrine there, and if you place the Pearl of Space on it, it may open a pathway leading to your world."

"And where is this Pearl of Space?" Japan asked.

"Fortunately, it's hidden somewhere in Mount Gold, so you won't need to deviate too much from your path while searching for it." Germany flinched when he heard that.

"Wait, we have to search for the pearl? How in the world will we ever find it if it's buried somewhere in a mountain range?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that." A hush filled the area as the Axis Powers let everything they just heard sink in. "This must seem like a lot to take in," Elder Cinccino said with great sympathy, "Why don't I gather supplies for you and leave you be as you plan your next step."

"Thank you," the Absol bowed his head. The Cinccino climbed up the side of the Kotree.

"I can take you back outside," Lillipup offered.

"Ja," said Germany. The trio followed the pup back toward the front. And still the previously bustling Pokémon were not present.

"You know, I still don't get why everyone ran away from us," voiced Italy. "Aside from Germany, we're not that funny looking."

"And what's that supposed to mean!"

"You're outsiders," Lillipup answered, his voice tinged with emotionlessness, "Haven't you noticed that hardly any of our villagers are evolved, including the adults?"

"No, not really," admitted Germany quietly, utterly lost on the meaning of the word. He wasn't even aware some of those creatures were fully-grown. He looked at Japan, who nodded.

"I'll explain later," he whispered back.

"The reason for that is because many of us were abandoned as hatchlings. Elder Cinccino took pity on us and established this village so that we may still live in peace in this otherwise harsh land. It has become a sort of unspoken rule that as gratitude no one is allowed to be of higher level than our elder." Lillipup looked up toward the canopy. "Kotree Village is sometimes called the Village of Rebirth since weaker Pokémon have a chance to keep on living here peacefully. And we all have Elder Cinccino to thank for that."

"But that still doesn't explain why everyone's afraid of us," pouted the Eevee.

"While we openly express our thanks to Elder Cinccino by remaining in our basic forms, we've given up power and battling experience. We're so weak that all it would take is one powerful Pokémon with ill intentions to destroy our village. That's why the villagers always become nervous whenever a stranger shows up."

_And yet your elder is wholeheartedly trying to help us, _Germany thought with a small smile. These strange animals were much more human-like than he gave them credit for. He was about to suggest the villagers should just learn to stand up for themselves when Japan intervened and changed the topic.

"You mentioned earlier that you're training to be an elder, but wouldn't that mean you'd have to surpass your current one?"

"Not if I start a village of my own," grinned Lillipup. "One day, I plan to leave Kotree and travel to Diasama, the land of my ancestors. I've always wanted to meet them and see what the inhabitants of that continent are like. Perhaps I could be a savior to the abandoned Pokémon over there."

"It seems you've already got ambition," Germany admired the puppy, "That's more than what I can say for Italy here." Lillipup laughed as Italy let out a cry. But the young Pokémon's demeanor suddenly dampened.

"But even if I leave now, I won't be able to reach Diasama until late the following year."

"Why's that?"

"Because of the mountains. The quickest way would be to go through them, but many strong Pokémon live in the peaks, and I'd make an easy target for them. Going around the mountains would take several months too. Plus, there's the Gir-Ou Ocean. The map doesn't show it well, but it's a really big ocean. It takes almost a year to cross it by raft."

"Almost a year!" the three canines yelped. That would mean it would take half that long just to reach Kaos Island. Their chances of returning home quickly were becoming bleaker and bleaker. Lillipup noticed their dejected looks.

"Oh, please don't let that get you down! Oh, I knew I shouldn't have said that. Look, if I can make it across then I know you can do it too." Italy was the first to recover.

"You're right! Hey, we can think of this like an adventure you guys." At that moment, Elder Cinccino returned from the upper level of the great tree. He was carrying a very large leaf folded in such a way that it resembled a backpack.

"Your things," he said, opening the top of the leaf backpack. Peering inside, Germany could see there were some strange fruits, a few vines and smaller leaves, and a replica of the map Elder Cinccino showed them earlier. "I'm afraid it isn't much, and you will need to refill your supplies before crossing Mount Gold. If by chance you become lost, don't hesitate to ask for help, though be wary of whom you ask it from. There are many malicious Pokémon who thrive on the susceptibility of helpless victims."

"Good luck!" Lillipup cried out when Germany, Italy, and Japan headed away from the village. "Have a safe journey. I hope you make it back to your world. Maybe we'll meet again one day." Germany tried to wave goodbye to the little dog but ended up awkwardly jerking his paw about. Italy was somehow able to do it correctly.

"Okay! It was nice meeting you!"

Germany led the way outside the forest, returning back to the field of wildflowers where he first woke up. "We need to head east if we want to reach the mountains. With luck we should get there by nightfall. Let's g– Japan, where are you going? East is this way."

"But Germany, we need to go west first," Japan said, heading in said direction.

"Why? I'm sure you, Italy, and I can handle anything we come across in the mountains."

"To be frank, there are several reason we can't go there yet, the first being we still don't know our way around this land. Perhaps someone from another village can serve as our guide. Secondly, we don't know where the Pearl of Space is hidden. There's a chance we can find a clue about its location if we ask around. But most importantly we're going to need powerful allies to help us get through the mountains. This game is programmed in such that the player will be unable to pass the mountains without first acquiring strong teammates."

"Why is that?" Germany was perplexed since he was confident the three of them could take down any opponent.

"Because once we get to the ocean, there's no turning back. And on Kaos Island lies the game's final boss." Italy gulped.

"Y-y-you mean we'll have to fight?" he whimpered.

"Fine then, we'll look for allies," Germany relented. The three of them set course for the western plains.

* * *

_Monstren –_ "monsters, freaks" in German

"Spotlight: Germany/Houndoom"- Made. To. Be. Seriously, Houndoom was made for Germany (or would it be the other way around?). Both are scary-looking in my opinion, both are formidable opponents, and both can be surprisingly caring. This Pokémon will bravely and fiercely defend its territory and packmates from danger, much like our favorite Hetalian German. It is said a burn from the flames of a Houndoom will forever torment its victims, suiting nicely with Germany's love for torture. Also, Houndoom looks like a Doberman, a breed of dog originating from Germany (though I'm sure you all knew that).

The next chapter will focus on the Allies...most of them anyway. I'll try to post the chapter when I can, but I still need to establish an uploading schedule, so I can't promise it will be soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Stiiiilllll working on an uploading schedule (I might just make it whenever I finish a chapter, I upload). And I keep forgetting to do this:

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or Pokemon. The names and all the characters belong to their respective owners (I apologize for being too tired to look them up at this moment). Please enjoy!**

* * *

England could think of better ways of waking up. Pulling himself out from underneath a heavy and massive bird was not one of them. "For goodness sake, get off me!" One desperate pull freed him from the crushing weight of the huge avian. Dusting himself off, England quickly noticed his dilemma.

"Great, that idiot France made me mess up my spell and now I've turned myself into some sort of…_thing_. I guess I should still be thankful I have arms and legs, though. Now, to figure out where we—" A quick scan of the area proved he was the only one here. No, that wasn't entirely true. He glanced down at the unconscious bird.

Whatever it was, it was larger than any bird he'd ever seen. Rusty red feathers coated its wings and back, though the rest of its body was colored navy blue. On its head was a crown of white feathers; one of which was split and curled back a bit. Behind this crest of distinct white feathers was a fairly bushy mane of smaller brownish-blond feathers. It certainly looked like an odd creature.

"No, bird watching isn't what I should be doing right now," England shook his head, "I need to find where the others are. I bet we've all split up due to my spell." He let out a sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised if Italy, Japan, and Germany have found each other by now; those guys are hardly ever apart. Still, that leaves finding China, France, Canada, Russia, and America. Heh, I bet America is running around like a lost idiot right now and–"

"Did someone call me?" a voice said groggily. England spun around in shock. The bird sat up using its wings as support, which by all means should have been physically impossible. The two stared at each other for a solid five seconds.

"You! Strange bird! You sound just like America! And you're wearing his glasses too!"

"Hahahaha! England, is that you? You look really silly."

"S-shut up! At least I'm not some oversized turkey!"

"Dude, that's cold," America said, finally able to stand up and examine himself, "I'm not a turkey, I'm a Braviary."

"A…a what?"

"A Braviary, you know, the hero of the Pokémon world?"

"Pok…é…wait, are you trying to tell me we're the same kinds of creatures found in UW?"

"Totally! Man, this rocks! Now I get to be the hero of two worlds." America looked at himself, impressed.

"No, this doesn't rock. We have to find the others and get out of here. They can't be too far away; after all, you and I were—"

"Oh, you two are awake," a voice emanated from the trees.

The two turned towards China…or at least whom they assumed was China since he didn't look anything like the China they were familiar with. This China was small and looked like either a ferret or a weasel. He had cloudy-white fur striped with a red line along his belly; his feet and the marks on his head were purple. His arms were covered with long fur tipped in red, making it impossible to see his hands.

"I figured you'd regain consciousness soon enough, aru."

"China? Is that you? And are you saying you're not surprised that it's us?" England wondered.

"I didn't know it was you two, but I wasn't surprised you were nations. After I came to, I realized it would be too much of a coincidence if three strangers woke up together in the middle of nowhere." He frowned. "But you two must have hit your heads on rocks or something! I could not wake you up no matter how hard I tried. So I went off to see if I could find someone who could help us."

"That's great," grinned America as China jumped down from the tree he was in, "So, did you find anyone?" The weasel crossed his arms.

"No."

"Figures," England muttered, "In most video games, you have to solve the problems yourself. Speaking of which– America, you wouldn't by any chance know what we are, would you?" Unlike America and China, he at least was still humanoid in shape. He was green from his shoulders down to his midsection, which bulged a bit and covered the rest of his body in white. There were tiny protrusions at the end of his elbows and a small red horn-like structure embedded in his chest.

The red-and-blue eagle paused. "Nope, can't say I do. I only ever play the game as Braviary, so I have no idea what you guys are."

"You what?" China sputtered.

"Well yeah; I mean come on, why would I want to play as anyone other than the hero?"

"Tch! That's a little self-centered of you, isn't it!" England barked.

"Say guys, don't you find it weird that it's just the three of us here?" America suddenly asked in all seriousness. England flinched.

"…Yeah, you have a point there. Even if the Axis Powers did leave us, I'm sure the others wouldn't have without good reason."

China looked crestfallen. "We're in a strange land with strange bodies…I hope Japan is okay."

"Never mind Japan, he can fend for himself, as can Germany with Italy. Honestly, I'd be more concerned for France, Russia, and Canada. France is probably off somewhere flirting with the local women, Canada would have no choice but to tag along, and Russia…" The three of them shivered at the thought of what Russia could be doing.

"Okay, so then let's find the others so we can get back home. And as the self-proclaimed leader, I say we go this way!" America began marching down a path heading south. Unable to change the youngest member's mind, China and England reluctantly followed.

* * *

After an hour of walking, the group stopped to take a rest. "Bros, I'm starving," America moaned, collapsing to the ground.

"Me too," admitted England, though his dignity prevented himself from falling down like America.

China walked over to a bush that was close by. "Why don't we have some of these." He offered the two various colorful berries.

"How do you know those aren't poisonous?" England leered at the fruits. In response, China popped one into his mouth, much to England's horror. He chewed it for a bit before swallowing.

"Seems fine to me," was all he said. He handed several to England and America. Indeed, the berry was deliciously sweet.

"Tastes sort of like strawberries," England said. America already gulped his down in a heartbeat.

"Hey China, are there any more? I could eat a boatload of these."

"I think there may be more that wa—" China pointed behind him, and America dashed over in the direction before he could finish. "Hey!"

"Let him go," England called out to him, "No use stopping him when he's in one of his hunger frenzies anyways. And if he comes back with a bellyache, that's his own fault."

"Wǒ Zhīdào," agreed the ermine, "But it'd be better if we didn't—"

Two yells suddenly pierced the air, one of which was America's. The two allies raced after their friend, finding him riding on top of a moving boulder. America was holding on to the bush with his beak for dear life while the land around him seemed to tremble violently. "Let go I say!" a deep grunt of a voice ordered.

"Nuh weh," America replied, "I'b ungree!"

"Then get your food somewhere else. That hurts you know." One fierce shake threw America off. England and China hurried over to check on their comrade. The landmass stopped shaking and was slowly turning around. "It's one thing when the children refuse to let go; it's quite another when it's instead a fully grown Pokémon."

England's eyes widened as he saw that the landmass wasn't actually what it appeared to be. It rather looked to be a phenomenally decorated shell of a huge brown and green tortoise. Spikes stuck out from the creature's head and shell.

"Excuse my idiot friend," England uttered nervously, "But you wouldn't mind helping us, would you?"

The tortoise lowered his head, glaring at him. "Depends. What do you need help with?"

"We're lost, you see, and we don't know how to get back from where we came from."

"I could probably tell you if you tell me where you're from."

"See, that's the problem. We're not from _here_; we're from, uh, Earth."

The large land turtle snorted. "I don't know what other Earth there is," he said, looking a little irate, "Perhaps if you could be more clear?"

"You know, like America, Europe, Asia," America answered. "Earth!"

The tortoise took a step back. "You really are lost, but I've never heard of those places in my life…" He suddenly looked toward the sky. "Blast it, I'm late! You three can come with me. I have someplace I need to be, but I will be able to help you once I'm done. Better yet, my colleagues and I might be able to provide you with some assistance after our meeting."

"Really? Thanks!" America thanked. The tortoise turned sideways.

"Gallade, Mienshao, you two are small enough to ride on my back." The three returned the kind offer with confused stares.

"I think he's talking to you guys," America whispered, pushing England and China forward.

"Oh, right…thank you," England answered. The two clambered onto his back and the land turtle started forward through the forest. America had a slightly tough time keeping up with him despite the turtle's slow and steady pace.

"So, tell me Mienshao, are you perhaps a shiny? I've never seen a species of your kind with fur of a red coloration," the tortoise started conversing.

"Oh, uh…yes…I think so, aru," China answered hesitantly, looking at his red-tipped sleeves and belly.

_If he's Mienshao, then I must be Gallade,_ England reasoned in his head. He looked the creature in the eye. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

The turtle gave him a funny look. "You mean Torterra such as myself aren't common in your land?"

"That's putting it mildly," England uttered aside, then to the creature, "Is that what we should call you?"

"Yes," the deep voice said. Torterra also looked at America strangely. "By the way, why don't you fly, Braviary?"

"You mean I can do that?" America asked with a surprised smile. The Torterra seemed worried.

"Are you three all right? You really must not be from here."

"We know. Also, we have names. I'm England, this is China, and that's America."

"You're Pokélites?" Torterra asked incredulously.

"No, we're humans, not some Pokélites. If you could take us to some others of our kind, we'd be more than appreciative." Torterra remained silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry, but I've never seen a human before nor know what one looks like, and I've traveled this continent my entire life." Looks of terror flitted across the three friends' faces. But the sound of shouts and laughter temporarily distracted them as Torterra approached a massive barrier made of logs.

"Wait a minute, if there are no humans, who built this fortress?" England pointed out.

"We did," answered the tortoise as if it was obvious. A gate that blended in with the rest of the wooden fencing rose up to allow the group in. Inside was an enclosed circular area. Tiny huts made of sticks, stones, and other such material lined up against the walls, leaving plenty of room in the center. Numerous creatures that looked just as strange as Torterra wandered about, a few even coming up to greet them. America laughed proudly when some openly showed awe at his feathers.

"Is this a village?" China questioned.

"Indeed, and I am one of the chiefs of this place." America, England, and China gasped.

"You're a chief?"

"Hrrrm! Co-Chief Torterra, I take it something unexpected occurred, hrah?" What looked like a bulky, orange camel with humps made of stone stomped over to the troupe. Torterra nodded.

"These fellows," he explained. "Co-Chief Camerupt, they claim to be humans."

"Humans, hrah? What the heck are those?" The camel plodded over to them. "They look like ordinary Pokémon to me. We'll see what the Grand Chief says about this, hrah."

"Stay here," Torterra said as China and England slid off his shell. He then stamped the earth, releasing a small, controlled earthquake through the village. Though it was weak, the three couldn't stop themselves from tumbling to the ground. "I just sent out a message. Someone will be here soon to take care of you until our meeting is over." And with that, Torterra trudged after Camerupt.

Left in a village with no one but funny-looking animals all around, the party had no choice but to wait.

* * *

They waited for what felt like an eternity inside one of the bigger huts. From time to time, a Pokémon would come in and try to entertain the guests with games, dances, and jokes. Sadly, the three nations didn't know the rules to any of the games, could not differentiate the dancing from regular movement, and were utterly lost on every single punch line given. Finally, one of the helpers offered to bring them food so that they could at least fill their stomachs. Since then, the three of them (mostly America) snacked down on the food.

"I wish they had something other than berries," complained England, though he did enjoy whatever species of fruit he was eating. "It'd be nice if we had some tea and scones to go with these."

"And a burger," added America.

"Who ever heard of berries and burgers going together, you git?" But America only laughed.

"Sirs," a tiny maid that looked like a walking green bush sporting arms and two blossoms on her head spoke as she entered the single-room hut, "The chiefs have finished their conference and are now awaiting your presence."

"Then let's not keep them waiting any longer," England said as he stood up. The flowery maid led them to the farthest end of the village, toward a large structure. This was the only structure to look as if it was at least designed and constructed by humans: it vaguely resembled a miniature version of the English Parliament House, though minus the towers and also made of ivy, stones, branches, and even spider's silk. The group went inside through the stone archway covered by a straw mat, and England was surprised to find that there was but a single, spacious room in the structure.

Before them stood four Pokémon seated in a semicircle. England easily spotted Camerupt and Torterra at the ends, but the other two were unfamiliar. One was a big black crow with a flowing white plume of feathers coating its chest. The feathers on its head were arranged in such a fashion it almost looked like it was wearing an elegant fedora hat. The other one looked like an oversized dog. It was exceedingly furry, its slate blue fur practically reaching the ground, and the hair on its face actually doing so. England had to keep himself from laughing as the dog greatly resembled a man with an overgrown mustache.

"Thank you for bringing the guests, Bellossom; you may leave now," the crow ordered in a squawky feminine voice. The Bellossom bowed and exited. "Now then– let's commence this rather special meeting. We've gathered from Co-Chief Torterra that you three were…human?"

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that…but yes, in short, you could say we were– are humans," England spoke for the three. The bird stared at them coolly.

"Not to sound cynical but how do we know you're not lying to us? This could be an elaborate scheme for outsiders to invade our prosperous village."

"What? Come on, we've got nothing to hide," America stated matter-of-factly, "We really are humans. And we just want to get back to our world, that's all."

"That doesn't prove anything. For all we know you could be spies–"

"Enough, Co-Chieftess Honchkrow," the dog barked.

"Yes Grand Chief Stoutland," the crow uttered apologetically before shutting her beak.

Grand Chief Stoutland sat up straighter. "I believe them."

"Pardon?" England was admittedly a little surprised by how quickly the Grand Chief accepted their claim. The massive dog nodded curtly. "Excellent! So does that mean you know a way to get us back home?"

The Grand Chief hesitated. "Indeed, there existed a way for beings to travel freely between different worlds and dimensions."

"All right! That means we're able to go home!" cheered America, pumping his wings in the air. But England and China were quicker in deducing the implications of his words.

"What do you mean '_existed_'?" England demanded, "Do you mean it's no longer there?" Stoutland looked at the transformed nations pityingly.

"Unfortunately, you are correct. You see, you are not the first to make such a request. Another group of humans were also seeking a way to return to their world, though that was over twenty years ago…"

* * *

Snow and dark clouds blanketed the scenery as far as the eye could see. The raging blizzard wasn't providing even the slightest amount of comfort to him. He laid sprawled in the snow and ice, his arms too stiff to move correctly and his legs too weak to support him. Was this how it was going to end for him? Perhaps he was meant to remain unnoticed to the very end.

A shadow of something not human loomed in the distance, slowly approaching him. The large creature was too obscured by the fog to be seen, though there were two faint gleams of purple where its eyes would be. He and the creature stared at each other for several moments, the icy wind howling around them.

Finally, the creature stuck out its hand.

"Canada– you will be coming with me now, da?"

* * *

_Wǒ Zhīdào_ _–_ "I know" in Chinese (I used an online translator, so this translation may be incorrect. If so, please tell me and I'll be happy to fix it.)

"Spotlight: Japan/Absol"- As a Pokémon who can "read the atmosphere," I feel Absol is a good match for Japan. They are both calm and collected, preferring to assess the situation before heading into battle. Absol is a rather reclusive Pokémon, much like Japan was before opening up to the outside world. And both can be extremely vicious in battle with their blades.


	4. Chapter 4

Bad news - classes start tomorrow, cutting into time I could be working on this story. Good news - I have no intentions of letting that stop me. Updates will still be irregular, but I will post chapters whenever I can.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

"Wh-what did you say!" exclaimed England, "Over twenty years ago!" Stoutland bowed his head.

"Yes. A group of three other humans were also trying to get back to their world. Furthermore, I met them in Palsama, a continent far across the ocean. I believe their names were Italy, Germany, and Japan. I do not know whether or not they returned back to your world safely, but I promise you the means by which they did so no longer exist."

There was an awkward silence between the three. Then America spoke. "You gotta be kidding me!" he voiced his, England's, and China's sentiments exactly, "We just got here, like, four hours ago! There's no way twenty years could have passed. It's not like we could have jumped through time or something."

"I assure you the Grand Chief would never lie, hrah!" Camerupt bristled. Torterra and Honchkrow were likewise disgruntled over America's outburst.

"I'm with America," China agreed, "If it had been two decades, we would be older than we are now. Maybe you guys can't count."

"Why you–!" Smoke started to stream from the top of Camerupt's humps.

"Calm yourself," Torterra ordered his friend. "Listen strangers, our chief graciously told you what he knows about your predicament. If he says twenty years have passed, then I believe him, as should you. Now, if you like, we can offer you some hospitality here as you adjust to–"

"I'm not adjusting to anything!" cried England, "I'm not going to spend the rest of my life as a Pokémon! You say the only means of getting home is gone, but I don't buy it. Even if I have to use whatever magic I have left I'll get us out of here."

"You ungrateful–" Honchkrow growled, but the bark of laughter coming from Grand Chief Stoutland made everyone turn to him in confusion.

"You humans never cease to amaze me, such tenacity you creatures possess," the chief chuckled. He then looked at the trio seriously. "If you three were normal Pokémon, you would have simply accepted your fate by now, but your outright refusal to do so makes me wonder what this all must feel like to you." He stood up and looked directly at America.

"What you said earlier has just given me an idea…Aguila?"

"America," America corrected the old dog. The Grand Chief made his way to the back, grabbing a scroll with his mouth. He walked over and handed it England who unfurled it. A map of only two land masses and an ocean was on the parchment.

"My fellow Co-Chiefs, please assist me in explaining to these humans this world they are in. One way or another, we will help you return to your home." The three Co-Chiefs hesitated, wondering if their leader had indeed gone mad, but Torterra soon obliged and stepped forward. The other two were right behind him.

"The continent you see here is Diasama," Stoutland pointed with a clawed paw. "I met your friends here in Palsama. The ocean that divides us is the Gir-Ou Ocean."

"…Okay," America stared at the map, "But how does any of this help us get home?"

"We are here," the dog ignored America and indicated a small region at the southernmost point of Diasama. "Our village is south of the Vasand Desert. If there is any chance of you getting back to your world, it will lie in small town located there called Magirena."

"Wait, you're not thinking of sending them to _her_?" Co-Chieftess Honchkrow asked skeptically.

"Then you know whom I'm talking about?" the Grand Chief glanced at the crow.

"But do you really think she'll be of any use?" Torterra said with concern in his voice, "The odds of that happening are close to nil if you take into account–"

"Her knowledge of ancient artifacts is the best in the world," Stoutland stated adamantly, "If there's any hope left, it lies with her."

"I'm sorry but who are you talking about?" England questioned.

"Madam Mismagius," Honchkrow answered without looking at him, "She's an unusual Pokémon—eccentric some say. She is versed in the ways of magic and the supernatural. But…her credibility in such subjects is spotty at best. Many of us consider her a crackpot."

"Crackpot or not, it seems we have no other choice," England said. China nodded.

"But once we find her, what should we tell her?" he asked.

"Tell her you're looking for the Time's Adamant," replied the Grand Chief, "She'll understand what you're talking about."

"Aiya! But I won't," paled the Mienshao, "What's the Time's Adamant?"

"Hrah, it's a mythical stone said to transport the user through time," spoke Camerupt.

America snapped his feathers, an action that still escaped England's understanding of normal anatomy. "Dudes, I think I got it! All we have to do is use the Time's Adamant to go back into the past when Japan, Italy, and Germany went home."

"Except that they will be all the way in Palsama," England pointed out, "So even if we go back in time, we'd still have the problem of locating them."

"Kaos Island," Torterra interrupted. America, England, and China looked at him. "Assuming your friends will be using the Pearl of Space in the past, they will have to go to Kaos Island to do it. It's located in the center of the Gir-Ou Ocean. You should find them there."

America looked back at the map. Judging by it, it shouldn't take more than several days to reach the desert. But from there to the ocean would undoubtedly be longer. Then there was still the problem of finding this adamant thingy. But he was the hero– there was nothing he couldn't do no matter how long it took. "Alright guys! Let's hurry and get to Kaos Island so we can go back home."

"I'm afraid I can't let you go so easily," the Grand Chief cut into America's eagerness. "It was one thing for my mentor to send your friends off without any training; they were in a land and time that were relatively peaceful. But Palsama is different; the Pokémon here are much more ruthless and will easily instigate a fight. I have my doubts you would survive a week without learning how to battle first."

"Please," scoffed England, "Back in our world, we used to fight in wars all the time, and I _am_ a former pirate. My magic may be low, but give me a sword and I can still manage."

"Are you so sure?" Torterra leered at him. "I've travelled across this land many times now, and I can assure you your inexperience in this world will make you very easy victims."

"Let them try," the Gallade taunted. Stoutland let out a harsh bark.

It happened so fast, America wasn't even sure it was real at first. A green blur streaked down from above them and landed in front of England. It bent and swiftly performed a low sweeping kick, causing the Gallade to fall on his rear. The thing stood, glaring down at him. To America, it vaguely resembled a praying-mantis but with real scythes for arms. "E-England!" America finally managed to speak, but before he could do anything to help he was struck in the back of the skull by something hard and fast. He fell forward, earning a searing headache when his head collided with the ground.

A black and red blur jumped off him and zigzagged toward China, who, recognizing this was an ambush, was prepared now. "China, look out!" America warned his friend as he struggled back up on his feet. China brought his arm back and swung, using the long fur on his arms as a whip against the second creature. But the monster merely caught the fur with its three-clawed hand. Its grasp was too strong for China to escape from.

"China!" America was at last on his feet, but once again, before he could make any action, the strange black creature turned to him and blew a strange blue beam at his feet. His feet burned, and within seconds the eagle's talons were frozen to the ground.

"Wha–? I can't move!"

"Hang on, America!" England curled then threw himself off the ground. He dashed past the bug-like creature toward his friend, not sure how he could help him but willing to try anyways. When England was just three steps away from America, the green mantis practically teleported behind the eagle and whipped its blades around and in front of America's neck like a pair of giant scissors. England instantly froze.

"I'll say again– are you still sure you can manage without training?" Hearing Torterra's voice sounded almost too surreal after that quick battle. England, his head bowed, admitted defeat. The mantis removed its blades from America's neck, and America registered himself breathing again once it did so. He was tempted to rub his neck to make sure it wasn't actually cut. The black creature released China's long fur and walked toward the front along with its partner.

"Attacks like that are quite common here, usually done by bands of thieves," Stoutland explained, "That's why I'm having my most trusted guards teach you basic battling skills. You may add your own style to the moves once you've mastered them. Captain Scyther will be assisting England–" The mantis made a small bow to England, who didn't seem too thrilled to return the gesture. "–And Lieutenant Weavile will be assisting China." The dark cat-like creature grinned at China.

"Hey, what about me?" America asked.

"First and foremost, by what Co-Chief Torterra tells me, you need to learn how to fly," Honchkrow answered coolly, "So I will be schooling you on that before battling."

"What? I gotta be schooled by a chick?"

"How dare you insult me!" the Honchkrow screeched. "I'll have you know I am the Head Commander in Battle. I've been commanding our army for more than ten years and have had my fair share of battling too. On top of that, I can at least hold my own for more than twenty seconds in a three-on-two fight. If anything, youngster, your inexperience shows you are more a chick than I."

"No…that's not what I…" America mumbled embarrassedly as England snickered in the background.

* * *

The groups separated and headed to different training grounds. Honchkrow led America to the edge of a small forest's ravine. The eagle looked down it. The drop wasn't so far as to make him overly scared, but a trip off the side would undoubtedly result in some broken bones. "Jump," Honchkrow instructed. America stared at her incredulously.

"You can't be serious?"

"I am," the crow deadpanned.

"That's at least a forty foot drop. And aside from my planes, I've never flown in my life."

"You can do this, I know you can," she said with a surprising amount of sincerity. America faltered a bit by the sudden show of kindness. "I believe you hold inside you a courage and strength unmatched in your world; that's the only reason I can see you were turned into a Braviary– a creature known for such traits. It's time for you to prove that to me now."

America was silent for a minute before grinning enthusiastically. "You're right. I _am_ the hero, and a hero can do anything. Just watch, I'll cross this oversized pit." He took a few steps back as he prepared to leap.

"Just concentrate on keeping your body in the air," Honchkrow said, "Once you open your wings, the power of flight should come naturally." America nodded. Then, after a second of reconsideration, he rushed toward the edge. His friends may call him idiotic but even he had to admit willingly jumping of the side of a ravine without a parachute was nothing short of insane. He took a quick intake of breath before launching himself into the air.

He wasn't even truly flying and already he was captivated by the heavenly feel of the wind flowing through his feathers. Spectacular! It was one thing to stand and feel a nice breeze on a windy day, but to be a part of it was something totally different. It was like a new sense of freedom—you could go anywhere, _anywhere!_ And if this feeling was just from free-falling…

Without thinking, America unfurled his massive wings, eager to let the wind caress them and take control of his flight. The sensation was exhilarating, and America found himself twisting and twirling happily in the bright blue sky.

"See? You're a natural. I told you you could do it," Honchkrow smiled, also in the air and flying a few feet behind him.

"Hahahaha! I never had any doubt. This is awesome! I can't wait to show England and China."

"Right after your training," his instructor reminded him. The two flew into the forest to begin the lesson, which lasted all the rest of the day.

* * *

"Spotlight: America/Braviary"- Okay, I admit it, I got lazy and just picked Braviary because he's an eagle with America's color scheme. But in all fairness, it worked out well in the end. Braviary is called the Valiant Pokémon, everything America is and more. These birds fight to protect and prove to be powerful creatures. It can also easily lift an automobile, something America showed he could do as well. Champion of the sky, I see Braviary America to be a force to reckon with.

Quick note since I don't know when I'll next update - sorry to those who have been waiting, but the next chapter will focus on the Axis one more time. Then, we'll get to see the remaining Allies.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

They have been walking all day through the plains, and Italy was tired. "Germany, can we stop now? It feels like we've been walking forever, and I'm exhausted."

"Not until we find someone who can help us," Germany answered sternly. He looked back when he heard the sound of something collapsing; Italy was lying down on the ground.

"Maybe we should rest," Japan admitted. "The sun is beginning to set. We should look for somewhere to spend the night."

"Tsk! All right, fine. We'll make camp up ahead." The trio continued forward. As they walked, the grass grew progressively taller and taller to the point where Japan's head was barely above the blades; it was hopeless for Italy to see what was ahead. The little fox paused.

"Hm? What's wrong, Italy?" Japan asked when he noticed his friend stopped.

"I thought I heard a rustling over there," he frowned. The other two paused.

"I don't hear anything," Germany said after a minute of silence. Italy frowned again. "Let's keep going," the German ordered.

Two hours later, when the stars were already visible in the night sky, the group decided to rest. "Let's stop here for the night," Germany said. They made camp right in front of where the tall grass ended abruptly. Germany said this way, if a potential enemy came from in front, they could turn around and hide in the grass. And the mossy boulders littered throughout this half of the field would block their view from enemies that were behind them.

It was a shame they couldn't get a fire going, but the full moon was bright out and provided all the light they needed.

"You picked a nice place, Germany," Italy praised while twirling around on his hind legs. The Houndoom walked over and laid down next to one of the boulders. Italy quickly joined him, snuggling up right next to him.

"Hey! Get away from me! There's plenty of room for you to sleep elsewhere."

"Oh, come on, Germany," smiled the fox. He looked up at the night sky. Though he knew they were in a video game, the realistic beauty of the moon and stars was still breathtaking. "You know, it's pretty cool here, aside from being trapped here against our wills. This would be a neat place to hang out more often."

"I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be wearing a double layer of fur all the time," Japan said. The group laughed in good-humor. "Well, good night."

"Buonanotte, Japan," Italy said before curling up on himself. Germany contented to staying alert and keeping watch a little while longer. It was a wonder he missed the pair of eyes watching them through the tall grass.

* * *

_The war was almost won, and all Germany had to do was capture France. While the perverted Frenchman couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag and wouldn't normally be worth his time, his land was a perfect place for Germany to gain easy access to England, possibly ending the war two months early. All that was left now was to find him. "There's no point in hiding," Germany called out as he made his way through the forest, "Your army is too far out to make a retreat. If you surrender peacefully, I _might_ let you live. Of course, if you refuse to do so, I will be forced to sho_–_"_

"Lovino!"

"Wha–?" The sound of someone's calling abruptly woke Germany from his dream.

"Lovino! Lovino, where are you?"

Whoever was calling sounded very close. Germany rolled over, fearing the person may be coming from the grass.

He came snout to snout with something big and brown. "Gyaah!" the hound yelled.

"Oh, there you are Lovino," the snout said. After calming his heart, Germany could see it was a large, three-tailed bull that had entered their camp and was trotting over to Italy. "Thought you could hide from me, did you? Well, I can tell you, chico, that when we get back—oh! You're not Lovino."

"Excuse me," Germany barked a little rudely, "But who are you? And what do you want with Italy?"

"Italy? I apologize, señor, but your friend looks just like someone I'm looking for. You haven't seen another Eevee around, have you?" It took Germany a minute to remember that an Eevee was what Italy was.

"No." At this point, Japan had also woken up because of the commotion. He stared at the intruder, though if he was surprised of him, he didn't show it.

"You are…Tauros, correct?"

The bull snorted. "I am _a_ Tauros, sí, but I do have a nickname. Please call me Antonio. And you?"

"Japan," the white dog answered. "Germany, what is going on?"

"This guy came in looking for someone named Lovino. Apparently he looks just like Italy. Speaking of whom…wake up, Italy." Unsurprisingly, Italy made no effort to get up. Germany sighed.

"So you three are not from around here?" Antonio asked, "If you want, I could help you find your way."

_That would be good, _Germany thought. "Perhaps that is best. Italy, I said wake up!" But when his friend failed to respond the second time, Germany got up, ready to threaten him awake if necessary. The Italian fox just curled up tighter, fast asleep.

No…he wasn't fast asleep. He was panting heavily, and his face looked like he was in pain. "Italy?" Germany was now growing concerned for him. He placed a paw against Italy's forehead. He did feel a little warmer than usual, though it was hard to say for certain.

Antonio walked over to see what was going on. "Oh, your friend may be trying to evolve," he suggested.

"Evolve?" That word rang a bell to Germany for some reason.

"Yeah, though by the looks of it, he's fighting the evolution." Right as he said that, Italy flashed a dazzling white before returning to normal. What the heck was going on?

"Germany! We must stop him from evolving!" Japan said suddenly. Great—two things to be confused about and only after being startled awake no more than ten minutes ago. Italy began to glow again.

"Wha—? But how? Why? What's going on?"

"If Italy evolves, his data will be altered, and he may never be able to leave from here," Japan explained desperately. The Houndoom's eyes widened.

"How do we stop it?" He turned to Antonio. The latter shook his head.

"I can't do anything. Only your friend can stop it." Again, Italy's body shone a blinding white, lasting a little longer than the other times. "And I hate to say it but it doesn't look like he's going to be able to for much longer."

"What?" Germany was not about to accept the fact Italy may be stuck in this world forever.

A streak of brown zoomed past him, catching Germany off-guard. In front of the sick Italy was a smaller, second one. It was carrying a small grey stone with a string attached to it in its mouth which it placed on Italy's side.

"Oh! Lovino!"

The Italy-lookalike glowered at Antonio. "Hmph! Stupid jerkface."

Antonio gasped before cracking one of his tails in the air, making a snapping sound. "Of course! Your Everstone!"

"Everwhat?" growled Germany, "Help us save Italy!"

"No need," grinned Antonio as he approached the two Eevee, "Lovino's Everstone will keep your friend from evolving. Quick, we must get him away from here. Let's take him back to our house."

Japan was careful to get the necklace around Italy's neck without removing the rock. Germany then picked up the fox and placed him gingerly on Antonio's back. Italy still looked distressed, but at least he was no longer glowing.

"Vamos!" Antonio smiled. "Lovino, get on my back, too." The second Eevee begrudgingly leaped onto the bull's back, and Antonio charged westward. After getting their stuff, Germany and Japan quickly followed behind.

When they were far away enough, Antonio slowed his pace. "So, what are you fellows doing here? Assuming you came from the east, you would have eventually stumbled upon our territory the direction you were heading. If that had happened, our encounter might have turned muy mal."

"We're looking for someone who can help us," Japan answered, "We wish to reach the Gir-Ou Ocean, but first we need to find someone powerful enough to help us cross Mount Gold."

"And you dumbbells didn't want your friend to evolve but decided to go to sleep in the moss fields?" Lovino growled angrily at them, "Come pazzo!" There was something about this kid that reminded Germany of someone very annoying back home…

It wasn't too long of running before the group reached a large manor. And the word wasn't even a comparison to anything—it really was a magnificent two-story building with red shingles, sunburned white painting, and a few vines of ivy climbing up along some of the sides. Surrounding the building was vast open field of neatly trimmed grass, and to the side was the largest stable Germany had ever seen. It could easily fit at least 50 horses.

Germany could feel his mouth hanging open by how _human_ everything appeared.

"Impressive, no?" Antonio smiled, "Though it took the lords over six years to make our home."

_That's still impressive,_ Germany couldn't help thinking.

All around were Pokémon that resembled farm animals doing farm work. Two purple and black pigs were building pens in front of the estate. Flaming unicorns pulled carts of hay. Yellow and pink sheep were sheering their own wool. Antonio led them past all this toward the large oak doors. Right beside the doorway was a golden bell with a rope attached; Antonio pulled it and it produced a pleasant ringing note.

A few moments later and a pink, bipedal cow opened the door. "Moooo is it?" she asked. She blinked. "Moo moo! Master Lovino, you're safe!" She grabbed the small cub and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Let go, Matilda!" Lovino squirmed to get out of the cow's grip.

"Everyone was so worried about you, young master," Matilda practically sobbed. Almost reluctantly she placed the young fox on Antonio's head. She then seemed to notice the two strangers behind them, who were eagerly looking in every direction but ahead. "We have guests, moo?"

"These are Mr. Germany, Mr. Japan, and Mr. Italy," the Tauros introduced, "They're friend here is sick and needs a place to recover until they can continue their journey."

"Moo my!" Matilda gasped as she hurried over to the unconscious fox to pick him up; Germany noticeably flinched when she came near them. "Another Eevee, and he's unevolved, moo!" Lovino seemed to cringe.

"I'm going inside," he said suddenly and hopped off his guardian's back. "Hurry up and get the idiots a room so they can rest."

"Now that's no way to treat guests," Matilda frowned, but she quickened her pace inside. Germany and Japan walked in after her, with Antonio behind in the rear. Inside was just as magnificent as the exterior if not more so. Semi-polished wooden floors lined the halls, a simple but elegant chandelier hung down from the ceiling, and the glassless windows allowed an endless stream of sunlight to filter through, giving the spacious rooms a serene and calming atmosphere.

The cow pokémon led the group upstairs and to the left. "Here's our guest room, moo moo!" she said as she carefully laid Italy onto the large pile of straw shaped like a bed. She placed the yellow woolen blanket lying on the bed over him. "Your friend is still asleep, so I'll have another maid come in and give him something to eat later, moo. But you, sirs, must be hungry. I can give you something to drink now—you want some milk?"

"NO!" both Germany and Japan blurted out. "I mean– no thank you. Do you have any water instead?" Japan asked more politely. Matilda gave them a slightly puzzled look but she bowed respectfully and left to fetch their request. Antonio chuckled.

"You guys afraid of lil' Matilda? It's like you've never seen a cow before."

_Not one standing upright,_ Germany thought with a tiny shudder. Antonio said he'd give the guys some time to rest and exited the room. Once Antonio was gone, Germany turned his attention to Japan. "So what was that this morning when Italy started glowing– is that normal?"

"Sort of," Japan replied, "That light we saw surrounding Italy was the sign of evolution, a sort of metamorphosis numerous pokémon undergo. Most pokémon can only evolve after battling, but there are a small number who evolve by means other than that."

"Other means?"

"Often times it is exposure to an evolutionary stone or level of happiness that causes these special pokémon to evolve, but Eevee—or in this case Italy—is the only exception to this. Not only can he be evolved by stone or happiness, but the location he is in and even the time of day can trigger an evolution. It is therefore virtually impossible for an Eevee to remain an Eevee for very long."

Germany paled. "So…so does that mean Italy can't…leave?"

Japan thought about it. "Not entirely. Remember the Everstone? It's a unique rock that prevents Pokémon from evolving. As long as Italy wear's Lovino's Everstone, he should be safe." Germany sighed, letting go of the breath he just then noticed he was holding before another question popped into his head.

"What about us? How do we make sure we don't evolve?"

"Luckily for us, we don't have to worry about that. A Houndoom is an evolved Pokémon that won't evolve any further. And an Absol can't evolve at all." Again, Germany heaved a sigh of relief. "But this is still troublesome," he heard Japan mutter, "Evolution shouldn't be introduced this early in the game. And I don't recall programming any of these characters. Something is very wrong."

"What if…what if this isn't a game?" The suggestion caused the white dog to look up. "I mean to say, as long as we're here, shouldn't we treat it as a reality? If so, then what do you think will happen if we 'lose'?"

"I'd rather not think of that." The two were silent. Several minutes later, a large bee with an even larger comb-shaped abdomen buzzed in, carrying a tray of berries and wooden bowls filled with water.

"Sirs," she offered the refreshments before bowing and hovering out.

The two drank their waters and nibbled on a few of the fruits, which turned out to be very sweet but tasty. Japan decided to explore the grounds and see what information about the land he could find. Germany remained in the room, keeping a close eye over Italy. It wasn't even ten minutes after Japan left someone else entered the room.

Lovino came sulking in, hopping on the bed Italy was on. He inspected the nation-turned-Pokémon with a rather calculating look. "What do you want with Italy?" Germany asked the kit. Lovino's ear flicked back but he otherwise made no motion of acknowledging the Houndoom. Suddenly, Germany realized whom Lovino reminded him of: Romano. Aside from the fur color and size difference, the two Eevee were practically mirror images of each other; just like Romano was for Italy. And if Lovino resembled Romano, perhaps…

"Are you worried for him?"

"No! Of course I'm not worried for this idiota, you jerkhole!"

_Which means he is,_ Germany thought with a tight smile. Lovino stared at Italy for a little longer before walking over and looking out of the window. The two said nothing for a while.

"It's not fair," Lovino spoke out after a few minutes of silence, "How come he got to grow up and stay an Eevee and not have to worry about evolving? He doesn't even have an Everstone. I can't stay outside for very long before I start to evolve."

Germany was about to say something when someone at the door said, "Don't be that way, Lovino."

"Shut up, Antonio. I'll be however I want." The bull clopped up to his young master. He had in his mouth a red, largely plump, and spiky fruit.

"Cheer up. Look—here's a Tamato berry one of the harvesters gave me. I know it's your favorite." Lovino gave a small growl before taking the berry and climbing on top of Antonio's back to eat it in peace.

"What was all that about?" Germany did feel bad for the boy, but he had only an inkling of what he was saying.

"The young master is just upset," Antonio sighed. "He wants to stay an Eevee so that he doesn't have to work."

"So he's lazy," Germany clarified. Lovino barked indignantly.

"You wouldn't want to work too if you had to go around helping stupid strangers in faraway lands!" Antonio used one of his tails to push the berry back towards the angry cub's mouth and another to pat him on the head.

"I guess in hindsight it looks that way, but you can't really blame young Lovino. Once he evolves, he'll have to join his parents in the field." Now that Germany thought about it, he hadn't noticed any Pokémon that remotely resembled Lovino.

"Where are the real lords of this house?"

"Away. They haven't been back to the mansion for several months now."

"Why is that?"

"As I said, they're working. Oh, no, mi amigo, don't get the impression that they're on the same level as servants," Antonio hastily said when the hellhound gave him an incredulous look, "I assure you they're being treated like the lords they are, wherever they are. While Eevee can't do much, Eeveelutions, or those who evolve from Eevee, have very special powers. Both of Lovino's parents are able to produce plentiful harvests all year long, regardless the season."

"They want me to be either a Leafeon like papà or a Vaporeon like mamma," Lovino muttered from behind his half-eaten fruit.

"But why are they working? Isn't that what you're here for?"

Antonio laughed. "Jaja! Sí, it would make more sense for a servant to do that. But you see, we have no supplies of our own. Sure we have fertile land, but we have none of the tools to manage it. Even the house was built off of wood the lords had to get from another family. Furthermore, we can't maintain our borders as well as most of the other families. We do make cloth and food to trade for supplies, but Lovino's parents work for families who promise to protect our land. The lords don't visit often, but for them, it's still hopeful to know they have a home and a family to return to. And when they do come, we happily work ourselves to make sure they are fully relaxed before they head off again."

"I'll stay an Eevee forever. Then I won't ever have to worry about working or never seeing this house again," the young Eevee mumbled. Germany thought about everything Antonio said as he watched the fox finish his treat while the bull patted him gently on the back with his tail.

* * *

_Come __pazzo_ – "How crazy" in Italian. I used Google Translate, so if this phrase is wrong please tell me and I'll be happy to fix it.

"Spotlight: England/Gallade"- Gallade is a gentlemanly Pokémon, so of course I instantly figured him to be the perfect match for England. And his typing totally suits England: he's half fighting, making him an expert swordsman, but he's also half psychic and can use special attacks, which is similar to magic. Yes, I know I could have made England a Mismagius like everyone else tends to do, but: one, I think the ghost looks too girly for him, and two, I like being different.

I tried to word it in such a way to make it clear but just in case it isn't: Lovino is the equivalent in age to ChibiRomano. That's why Germany wasn't able to easily recognize him. Also, Matilda the Miltank isn't based off of any country.

And for those of you who have been waiting patiently, as promised, the next chapter will focus on the remaining Hetalia cast. Also, I think I've got it so that (with a couple exceptions) every two chapters will focus on one group before I rotate.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

France shivered uncontrollably in the freezing cold. Of course he had to wake up in a place practically covered in snow and raining ice. "Tch, I-I'm going t-to s-s-strangle that jerk B-Britain once I get my h-hands on h-him!" Well, he would if he had any hands. Instead, he had only a long green and yellow-striped serpentine body. He supposed the two stubby leaf-like appendages could serve as hands since he was able to move them as such, but they wouldn't be of much use if they were.

France coiled himself even tighter. He wasn't sure how he ended up in this wintery tundra—and as a snake of all creatures—but right now he needed to find shelter and heat soon or he was going to freeze to death. But he couldn't move; he had no feet, and even if he did, the snow was too thick for him to walk through.

A merry "Huhuhu!" caused France to look up. In the bleary horizon, he could make out the form of something big and walking his way. It stood upright, its thick tail evidently not used for balancing as it walked on top of the snow. Two small folds that resembled wings flapped against the wind. A pair of thin horns snaked from its head.

Wait a moment– a tail? Wings? Horns? And with a shape that looked oddly familiar?

"D-Draaagooon!" screamed France in fright.

"Hm? Is that you, France?" the "dragon," which incidentally sounded exactly like Russia, asked.

"Gwa–! Russia, is-s that you? Boy, am I g-glad to see you." The dragon smiled.

"Da! It's a good thing I found you then. Come—I take you back to our shelter now."

"I-I would i-i-if I could move," chattered the snake. Seeing his dilemma, Russia picked up France, wrapping his body around his neck and shoulders. "Hey! I am not a scarf!" France cried out angrily, although he did receive some warmth from the actual scarf Russia was wearing. Now up close, France could tell the two streamers he mistook for horns were actually antennae. His body was covered in orange-yellow scales that contrasted greatly against the white and grey background.

"Say Russia, aren't you freezing?" France wondered as said person began walking back from where he came.

"Why? It's a bit chilly, but it's not that cold."

_Not that cold my derrière!_ France shouted internally.

After several minutes of silent walking, the two reached a concaved mound of snow. A small fire was burning brightly, though that was not the first thing to catch France's attention. Huddled beside the flames was what looked like a large white bird, vaguely resembling Pierre. Its front was speckled with red and blue triangles. The tips of its crest were also red and blue, and a single curly strand of feather poked out from its forehead. The bird had such short and stubby legs France was amazed it could even stand.

The funny looking avian turned to them. "Oh, you're back Russia," its soft voice was barely heard over the wind, "So you found him?"

"Canada? You're here too?" asked France as Russia put him down near the fire. Of course—the hair strand and glasses should have given it away.

Canada nodded, an action that almost required the use of his whole body. "Yes. Russia found me, and then the two of us built this shelter. It's not much, but at least it helps reduce the wind blowing at us."

"How did you get a fire started? Do you have any matches?"

"No. Russia made it with his breath."

"Quoi?" France looked between the two with a confused stare, "But…how is that possible?"

Russia smiled cutely. "Simple—I am Russia."

"…Canada?"

"I'm not really sure either. He was first blowing on his hands when sparks came out. We tried testing it after scraping up some pieces of wood, and that's how we got the fire going. It might have something to do with the fact he's a Dragonite."

"A what?"

"Dragonite. I remember it's a species of Pokémon in that game America lets me play sometimes. And if I recall correctly, you're a Serperior, France, and I'm a T…Togekiss." He said it as if embarrassed of the Pokémon that represented him.

France smirked. "Honhon, I am superior, non?"

"No, I'm pretty sure he said _Ser_perior, not _su_perior," Russia chuckled.

France shook his head and looked back at the fire. If they had powers in this world, it might not be all bad. And perhaps there was still a chance they could get home. "You wouldn't by chance know where we are?"

Both Canada and Russia frowned, their silence being their shared reply. The snake sighed. "So we're stuck here, huh? What horrible luck– stuck in the snow with no food, no shelter, and unable to go anywhere. Curse England and his black magic!"

"I am thinking where are the others?" Russia voiced, "They have to be here too. If we can find them, then we can get back home. And then you can beat up England as much as you like." That seemed to cheer France up a bit. The three agreed to warm up by the fire first before looking for their friends.

Ten minutes later, Russia and France headed out together to see if they could find anyone else. Canada remained by the fire since Russia was unable to carry both him and France. The bird felt utterly useless at the moment– he had large enough wings to fly but he had no idea how to use them. And even if he could, it probably wasn't the best idea to use them in a blizzard. He sighed, wishing wholeheartedly that his pet bear Kumajirou (at least, he was pretty sure that was his name) was here to keep him company as the minutes ticked by.

Half an hour later, a serpentine shadow became visible through the curtain of snow. "France, you're back already?" Canada sat up, "Were you able to find the others? Why isn't Russia—?" He stopped. Whoever was approaching wasn't France. It had ears on the side of its head and a dagger like horn on top. And the way it weaved through the snow meant it was very familiar with this terrain. "G-g-g-guys!" Canada stammered, backing up against the makeshift wall of snow. "Help!" The mysterious creature paused for half a second before charging toward Canada.

The bird Pokémon dove into the snow, barely dodging the attacker's horn as it rushed past. But the barrier of snow was now destroyed, and with no protection the fire couldn't withstand against the icy gale and went out.

The serpent shook itself off, and Canada was able to see its ears were actually small, feathery wings. "I'm not causing any trouble!" Canada cried, "Why are you attacking me?" But the snake hissed. It extended its wings, which doubled in size, and it flapped into the air.

_How is it able to fly in this weather?_ Canada couldn't believe. He realized this creature was no ordinary snake—a dragon most likely. No—a Dragonair!

The Dragonair focused on Canada, who would be unable to dodge now. "Maple leaf!" squeaked the bird. The dragon honed in on the defenseless Canada.

"Watch out!" A flash of green caught Canada's attention and the next thing he knew, he and France were tumbling through the snow. The flying serpent growled angrily in frustration, having missed its target again.

"France? But how are you able to move?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. When I saw you being attacked, my body just moved on its own."

"Where's Russia?"

"He's—" France didn't get to finish as the dragon lunged at him. He somehow twirled around the dragon, his body almost entwining with its. Livid, the dragon snapped at the Serperior, forcing France to duck and pull back. Before he had a chance to recover, the feathered serpent lunged at him.

"Shto ty delayesh?"

The dragon didn't see Russia's hand at all and went flying smack into it. It stared up incredulously at the larger dragon.

"Shto?" Both France and Canada blinked at the creature. Though the voice was heavy with an accent, it was undeniably female. "What am I doing? I…what are you intruders doing in the Master's kingdom?" Russia took a tiny step back.

"B-Belarus?" France gasped. The blue dragon glared at him.

"Hmph! I don't know who you are mistaking me with, but my name is Natalya. Now you—identify yourselves." She seemed to be looking at Russia as she said this.

"Pleased to be meeting you, Natalya. I am Russia."

"Bonjour. I am France."

"And I'm Canada." But Natalya didn't seem as interested in the last two nations. "Your name…you are a Pokélite?" Russia looked puzzled.

"What's that?" France wondered aloud, equally confused. "Better yet, do you have someplace we can stay? I'm not sure if you've noticed but some of us are freezing our tails off!" Natalya nodded and took to the air. She glanced down at the trio when none of them moved.

"Aren't you following?"

"Would you believe we don't know how to fly?" Canada yelled over the wind. He couldn't tell if the look Natalya gave was one of anger or pity—maybe a mixture of the two. She swooped back down.

"That's a shame, but I guess it can't be helped. I will lead you to my home on the ground then." Now that France at least knew how to trudge through the snow, Russia was free to carry Canada in his arms. The blue dragon gave them a slightly disdainful look before leading the way to her home. "Tell me, how did you come to be here? I've never seen you before in my life."

Russia answered for the three of them. "England sent us here. We don't know how he did it, but we woke up here like this."

"So you really are hopelessly lost?"

"That's one way of putting it." A small smile graced Natalya's lips. The travel to Natalya's home was a silent one, and Canada wondered how she was able to guide herself with no visible landmarks anywhere. Was it because she grew up here? If that is the case, she can't be the only Pokémon here. But then…why haven't they found any other signs of life?

"Oh…" Russia's voice snapped the Togekiss out of his thoughts. He looked up, releasing a gasp of his own at the sight before him.

About a hundred yards ahead was a two-story stone mansion partially built into the side of a mountain. Two turrets hung from the sides of the manor, overlooking the small ring of frozen water surrounding the castle. A miniature bridge provided the only land access across the wannabe moat to the house and another one to a small island with a garden bench on it. But the most captivating feature about the mansion was that it was completely cloaked in a thin layer of ice. The building glistened faintly against the dreary landscape.

"And you live here all by yourself?" France breathed in fascination.

"Don't be silly. I have my famil—"

"Natalyaaaa!" Another blue and white dragon flew over to greet them, though this one did not resemble Natalya in the slightest. The other dragon more greatly resembled a bird than her sister, her cottony wings and body easily blending in with the snow. Two streamers coming from her head flapped behind her.

_An Altaria, _Canada managed to identify as the creature wrapped its wings around Natalya.

"Sister Katyusha," Natalya turned to her sister.

"Thank goodness you came back from your patrol unharmed! When you were gone longer than usual I began to think something happened." It was then Katyusha noticed the three males. "Boje moy! Who might you be?"

"These are misters Canada, Russia, and France," Natalya introduced them with a wave of her tail. The bird-dragon bowed her head.

"How do you do? I am Lady Katyusha. You've already met my younger sister, Lady Natalya." The men stared between the two sisters.

"You mean you two are the owners?" Russia questioned. The sisters nodded.

"Come inside; it's warmer in there," Natalya nudged Russia forward. All three men were hesitant at first but obliged. It was rude to ignore an invitation, especially if it was to a heated shelter.

The inside foyer looked both more dreary and yet more fantastical than the outside. The only light came from whatever sunlight managed to find its way through one of the two skylights. A stairway lead to the upper floor, though the high-rise banister didn't allow much of a view of what was up there. The walls and floor were scarred with sheets of ice and frost. But a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling hinted of how welcoming the room was supposed to be. And despite all those, there was still something even more eye-catching.

"Why is there a waterfall on the other side of the room?" France couldn't help but blurt out. Indeed, the large stream of water came forth from the base of the second floor and emptied into the pond below. It was an odd sight, but at least it wasn't roaring or spraying cold water on the pokémon present.

Katyusha instantly burst into tears. "I'm sorry! Do you not like it? We've had it forever; we didn't think you'd be offended by it! Oh please forgive us!"

"No, no, it's a…lovely waterfall," France tried to calm her.

"The mountain was here first, so the house was built around it," Natalya explained.

"Lady Katyusha, is there someone at the door?" a young voice called from within the mansion. A small, orange lizard with a flaming tail walked in from one of the side hallways. "O-oh, Lady Natalya, you're back. And you brought guests." He said the last word with a small squeak in his voice.

_What a cute Charmander,_ Canada thought with a smile. The tiny lizard was adorable, even if he was shaking like a leaf at the sight of the three larger visitors.

"Raivis, where's Eduard?" the Dragonair questioned.

"H-he should b-be coming back from patrol any m-minute now," Raivis stammered nervously, still looking at the three guests.

"Tsk! Since he's out, you prepare the rooms for our guest. I'll have Toris start the fire. Where is he?"

"I-i-in the kitchen. I'll go and get him." Raivis went back in the room he came from. A few seconds later and another dragon peered its head out as Raivis left to go upstairs. This one modeled a green mayfly or dragonfly of some kind.

_Wait a minute, aren't Flygon desert pokémon?_ The Togekiss wondered.

"Yes Lady Natalya?" the Flygon asked as he stepped into the foyer.

"I want you to start the fire in the living room. Also, bring something to drink for our guests." Toris glanced at the three, his eyes lingering a bit longer on Russia.

The Dragonite smiled. "Hello there," he waved with a smile, though Canada could have sworn he saw something like a shadow in his eyes. Toris flinched.

"Y-yes, welcome travelers," he hastily bowed before gliding to another room. Katyusha gestured for the rest of them to follow him.

The living room wasn't exceedingly large or fancy; in fact, the only furniture in the room was a medium-sized couch and a rug, but there was a decorative stone fireplace. Toris was kneeling, blowing a small stream of fire onto the black strips of wood.

"He's doing the same thing Russia did," Canada whispered to France. When the logs finally caught, Toris used his tail to gently fan the fire. The flames quickly spread to the other logs and the fire was soon large enough to warm the room.

"We're almost out of wood; there's just enough for another fire," the Flygon addressed to his mistresses. Katyusha looked crestfallen while Natalya growled.

"Then I'll have to scavenge some more later."

"No, Lady Natalya, let me," Toris quickly stood. The Dragonair nodded once; Toris looked relieved. He went back to the kitchen to get some refreshments for them.

"Your rooms are ready," Raivis had returned, standing by the doorway. "They'll be ready for you when you retire for the night."

"Merci," France thanked the youngun. He rested by the fire, graciously accepting its heat after spending several hours in the blizzard. He was just thankful that whatever creatures he and his fellow nations had become, they didn't suffer from the cold as easily as their human selves.

Russia put Canada down by the hearth and sat in the middle. Though the two were used to chilling temperatures, the warmth was very much appreciated by their bodies. Natalya and Katyusha took their seats on the couch.

Canada looked behind and was surprised to see a small puddle nestled right beside the couch. Its diameter was no more than two feet, making it completely hidden from view by anyone entering the room. "Um, why is there a pond over here?" he voiced uncertainly.

"So Eduard can come in the room," Raivis answered, taking a seat beside the white bird. He waggled his tail around playfully behind Canada, warming his back.

"What is Eduard– a fish?" asked France. Almost right after he said that, the water in the miniature pond began to ripple and the elegant head of a blue seahorse popped up.

"I prefer the term 'water-dragon' or even my Pokémon species name Kingdra if you don't mind," the beautiful seahorse spoke before turning to his mistresses. "The perimeters are secure. Aside from these three, the only suspicious thing around is a sleuth of Beartic by the north boundary. They've become a bit restless lately."

"As long as they stay north of the border, we should be fine," remarked Natalya. The seven of them were resting peacefully when Toris returned with a tray of cups.

"Oh, Eduard. I figured you'd be back, so I got you something to drink as well." Toris quickly made his rounds, giving a cup to everyone present before seating next to the other servants. The three quickly engrossed themselves in their own private conversation.

Canada looked out the window. The wind howled ferociously outside, but the thick glass buffered out the noise. From inside, next to the warm fire, the falling snow seemed almost beautiful to him. How the flakes swirled about in rhythmic dancing was very hypnotizing indeed. He was reminded of sitting cozily by the fire on snowing evenings just like this back home, a warm blanket wrapped around him and Kumajirou, a hot cup of chocolate in his hand, and the tiny pats from his bear telling him to stay awake a little bit longer as he slowly drifted off to sleep…

* * *

_Shto ty delayesh? – "_What are you doing?" in Russian

_Shto?_ – "What?" in Russian

_Boje moy_ – "My goodness" in Russian

I used an online dictionary for the Russian translations, so they may not be correct. If that is the case, please tell me and I'll be happy to fix them.

"Spotlight: China/Mienshao"- Though I don't really see China as a physical fighter (since I've never seen him fighting with anything other than his wok) I still think Mienshao is a suitable match. They're agile, stronger than they look, and the fur on Mienshao's arms remind me of China's sleeves…yeah, that's about it.


	7. Chapter 7

I apologize for the late update. Midterms are starting nearly a month sooner than they should, leaving me with little time to write. But I really wanted to update this before things got really hectic.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

Soft murmuring roused Canada from his sleep. Something was pressed underneath his head and, being still half-asleep, he jerked in surprise. Looking down, Canada realized it was the thick tail of France, having been placed under him like a pillow. _When did that get there?_ The Serperior glanced down once he noticed Canada awake.

"Wha…what happened?"

"You dozed off for a bit," answered France. He smiled. "I thought you might have wanted something soft to lay your head upon, mon cher." France's tail was far from soft, but it was at least supportive since Canada didn't even notice it was under him. He gave a small smile. It was the thought that counted. "We were just asking how the five of them met when you woke. I was thinking they couldn't be the only ones here."

"'Met' wouldn't quite be the right word," the Altaria clarified, "We've known each other since we were hatchlings, except Raivis; he was born after the rest of us."

"So, wait– you five are brothers and sisters?" France looked at Toris, Raivis, and Eduard. "Then how did it be that those three aren't—?"

"They're siblings by familial status, not by blood," said Natalya.

"Wait…quoi?"

"Our conjoining ancestors go back several generations, and their offspring have branched to have their own families. And all those families lived together under this one roof. But what made us strong was also what made us weak."

"The house began to die," Raivis whispered; Toris expanded on what he said.

"Our ancestors were too proud to marry the ones not of dragon lineage, and there were hardly any to begin with."

"Slowly, the branches of the household diverged less, some lines even stopping completely," Eduard spoke up.

"We are all that's left of the Drakon Family," Katyusha finished sadly. She took a small sip from her cup of tea. The three guests looked around to see mirroring looks of sadness from the five family members.

"You mean to say there are no other dragons here?" questioned Russia skeptically. "In all this frozen tundra?"

"There are only two other known dragons here, besides us five," Natalya answered with a blush and averted eyes. "But to convince one of them to join our family will be impossible." Canada couldn't help noticing the small sound of nails scraping against the floor as she said this. He glanced around to see who did it, but nobody appeared to be moving.

A crackle from the fireplace caused everyone to look up. Toris shuffled over to it, carefully using his claws to move the charred sticks around. "The fire will be going out soon; nearly everything's charcoal."

"Then you three should head to bed before it becomes too dark," Natalya raised herself off the couch; her older sister followed suit.

"I'll lead you," Raivis volunteered. Canada was beginning to wonder just how useless he was as Russia carried him for the third time that day. Maybe he should ask Toris or one of the ladies to teach him how to fly.

It was a good thing Raivis was leading the way– the house had gotten quite dark, with the brightest source of light in the hallway being the Charmander's tail. They walked upstairs. The Togekiss was surprised by the design of the upper level: The floor was divided in two by a stream of water going all the way to and past the back wall, its entirety comprised of the mountain's side. There was a small crosswalk by the banister to get across without needing to jump and another halfway down the hall. A multitude of doors lined both sides of the corridor. Raivis opened the first and second doors on the right side of the hall.

"I'm afraid I could only prepare you two rooms; the others are of off-limits to guests."

"It's fine," the Dragonite answered.

"I guess now we should decide who sleeps with whom," stated France. Canada personally didn't see what there was to discuss. It was fairly obvious to him that he and France would share a room, for historically obvious reasons.

"You can have your own room France," Russia said, surprising the other two, "Canada and I will be sharing one."

"Uh! And why did you come up with that?"

"Mostly because I know you," Russia smiled a little dangerously. "Besides, Canada won't be able to go anywhere until someone helps him. He'd be utterly stranded."

_That doesn't exactly make staying with you that much better,_ Canada whimpered in his head. But Russia did have a point. And besides, he didn't see anything wrong with staying with Russia. He hadn't known Russia to be 'scary' outside of wars as the others claimed; to him, Russia was no more than a creepy but gentle giant.

"Here's your room, Mr. France," Raivis gestured toward the second door.

"Well then, gentlemen, bonne nuit," the Serperior bade his comrades goodnight. The other two waved good night and Russia carried Canada into the remaining room. The room was similar to the living room but with a few noticeable differences: there was a bed across from the miniature fireplace instead of the couch, which was pushed up against the wall facing the only window in the room. The pond of water was located in the furthest corner of the room rather than right next to the bed. There was a grate over the pond.

"We usually keep it closed," Raivis said when he caught what Canada was staring at, "We've had a few guests who've sleepwalked before. Eduard's relatives were none the pleased when they found that out."

Canada's eyes reached the window and he realized this room had one of the two turrets: the wall jut out right before the window, where a large nest of straw lay.

"I-I didn't know if you'd feel more comfortable on the bed or in a nest," the Charmander seemed abashed.

"That's okay. Since Russia and I are too large to sleep on the couch and there's not enough room to share the bed, I guess I could sleep there."

"Are you sure?" the purple-eye dragon asked him.

In his head, Canada was saying _Not really,_ but aloud he smiled with, "Yes, I am." Russia walked over and placed him in the straw nest. Maybe it was because of his new body structure but the nest actually felt quite cozy to the speckled bird. Raivis quickly got a fire going to warm the room, using dried leaves and straw as fuel.

Russia was already lying in the bed. There were no sheets other than the one covering the bed, but the dragon didn't seem to mind. He curled up a little, wrapping himself around the pillows and his scarf, almost like a child would. He was asleep before Raivis was out of the room.

Canada chuckled softly. "Good night then, Russia."

* * *

The first thing Canada noticed when he woke up was how bright it was outside. He squinted his eyes as he peered out the window to see the vast whiteness. The storm had passed, and as far as the eye could see was a fresh sheet of untouched snow. The sun was already hanging over the mountaintops in the distance.

"Labrït. It's good to be seeing you up. I was just about to wake you and Mr. Russia." Canada turned over to see Raivis by the doorway. "It seems Mr. Russia is still asleep, though." He walked over nervously to the large dragon and poked at his tail. Russia growled loudly in response.

"Waaaah!" screamed Raivis, and he ducked behind the bed. Even Canada jumped, unaware of Russia not being a morning person. Russia stirred, looking around the room sleepily.

"Oh, dobroye utro, Canada. Hm? Raivis? What are you doing—?" But what really woke him up was his growling again– or rather, his stomach's. Canada laughed before his stomach started to grumble as well. The terrified Charmander peeked up.

"I-I-I'll go see w-what we can do about breakfast." Then he scampered out of the room.

"I didn't realize I'd be this hungry," Russia said as he slid off the bed and stretched.

As Russia stretched, Canada flexed his wings._ That's it, I'm going to do it. No more being carried around._ Canada was determined not to be babied any more. Using the muscles in his wings and what little in his legs, he hopped out of the nest, landing on his rear as he hit the floor.

"Canada?"

"I-I'm fine," the avian said as he used his wings to stand up. He was able to balance himself on the tips of his toes now. Using all his strength, he hopped forward. He looked back to see how far he jumped– it was no more than a foot. Still, he repeated this process toward the door, disregarding how silly he must be looking. Russia opened the door for him and Canada hopped out. _I made it this far; maybe I can glide across the stream,_ he thought with some confidence. He made two bounding jumps toward the edge, leaped over, flapped his wings, and—

"Ouch!" Canada began falling halfway across and hit poor Eduard in the head, causing both pokémon to plummet into the water.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, Eduard!" Canada apologized when he resurfaced.

"I-it's okay," sobbed the Kingdra. A door opened and France came out of his room.

"What's going on? I heard splashing."

"Flying lessons," Russia answered as he helped pull Canada out of the current, "And now we will be going downstairs for the breakfast."

They took the stairs down and watched as Eduard swam down the waterfall after them.

"Incroyable," breathed France at the sight, "But how are you going to come into the kitchen?"

"Don't forget this house is part of the mountain. There are underground rivers connecting this stream to the other rooms in the mansion," replied Eduard. He dove underwater, presumably heading to the kitchen to meet them there.

Inside the kitchen, the trio found the rest of the family. Toris was at the counter slicing fruit with his claws, and Katyusha was by the fireplace oven, spitting flames over what looked like meat. Natalya and Raivis were seated on small perches around a large wooden table; Eduard poked his head out from a small well that resembled a seat. Cups and plates lacking silverware lined the table.

"Good morning," Katyusha turned and greeted the men, "Have a seat. Breakfast will be done in a second." Russia took his seat on one of the pedestals and placed Canada on another; France opted to curl around his seat like Natalya.

After another minute, Toris brought over the tray of cut fruit and placed it in the middle. "How did you find fruit in this place?" Canada wondered as he eyed the various produce.

Toris smiled. "We grew them. Our ancestors brought the seeds of some from their old home, and since then, our family has been cultivating the fruit in the greenhouse out back. It's our main source of food here." Katyusha brought over another tray with the cooked meat. Delicately, she tore off pieces of meat and placed them on the plates.

"I hope you enjoy. We were saving this for something special, but we thought you might like it instead."

"What kind of meat is it?" asked the Serperior as Toris placed some fruit on his dish.

"Seel meat," Natalya answered bluntly.

"Oh, I didn't know you had seals here," replied Canada. France suddenly didn't look particularly thrilled about his breakfast.

"Eduard, why do you have a bump on your head?" Toris asked, eyeing his friend curiously.

"That was my fault– I accidently fell on him," the Togekiss spoke up. "I was, uh, trying to fly."

"You mean you don't know how?" gasped Katyusha, looking quite shocked, as were the servants. "Well that certainly won't do. Would you like to learn how?"

"Yes ma'am. I'd really like that."

"Oh, me too," added Russia. Katyusha smiled.

"Tell you what, if you help us with our chores, we'll teach you to fly. Deal?"

"I'd be happy to teach Ru—them for free," Natalya argued.

"No, we'll work. It's only fair," said the Dragonite.

"What about me," asked France, "I can't fly, so what do I get in return?"

"How about how to walk…er, slither?" offered Raivis nervously, "You don't quite move with the grace of any serpent I know."

France shrugged before saying, "I guess that will do." With that settled, the pokémon began to eat their meager breakfast, the nations not quite with as much gusto as the other dragons.

When the plates were cleared off the table, everyone split into groups: Katyusha, Raivis, Eduard, and Canada would attend the crops in the greenhouse, Toris and Russia would take the first shift of patrol, and Natalya and France would gather the firewood needed for this week's heat. "Why should I gather wood with him?" Natalya glared at France, "Russia has arms; we could easily carry back more wood."

"Because France still needs to learn to slither, sister," the Altaria answered cheerily, "And since you have to teach him eventually, why not while you work. I will be teaching Canada and Toris will be teaching Russia to fly." Toris visibly shuddered when she said that. The Dragonair growled but complained no further. She led France down a side hallway. "Now then, shall we go out now?" The remaining members walked to and out of the front doors. They could just make out the two serpents in between the bare trees.

"O-our area of patrol will be the western boundary," Toris informed Russia, pointing in said direction. "It's not far, only four kilometers away."

"That seems pretty far," Canada said quietly.

"Um, well I guess it is by foot. But hopefully we will be able to cover a lot of distance as we get there."

"Four kilometers is nothing," Russia waved off. He tightened his scarf and followed by foot after a hovering Toris.

"Shall we start?" Eduard asked his lady. She held up a wing to wait.

"We start when Canada flies." The Togekiss looked up.

"Now? But shouldn't it be the other way around? It's not right for me to learn before working."

"True, but how else are you to get to the greenhouse? You can't walk through the snow, and we're not going to carry you there." Canada almost faltered at the sheer bluntness of her statement. The mistress took his silence as acknowledgement. "Normally, birds learn to fly by jumping off trees, but this is a family of dragons. You will learn how to take off from the ground like the rest of us." She suddenly spread her wings out wide, bowed low, and threw herself into the sky. Canada marveled at how easy she made it look as well as how pretty her body was against the sunny sky.

"First, open your wings. Simple step. Make sure the tips of the wings are slightly bent." Canada did so, though he found tipping his wings slightly uncomfortable. "Next, bow. Shift the weight in the body forward toward the front. Right before you fall over, jump into the air, pushing on the wings with all your might. Grab the air beneath you but remember to let it guide you, don't force it to carry you up."

"Hold on, you're going too fast," wailed the Togekiss, trying to remember everything. He turned to the two spectators. "Did you catch what she said?"

"Open wings, bow, jump," Raivis simplified. He looked excited about seeing Canada about to fly.

"You know, Raivis, you should be keeping this lesson in mind too," said Eduard, "One day you'll be joining Toris in the sky patrol."

Canada took a deep breath. Wings opened wide, he bowed as low as he could. The moment he felt like he was about to fall over, he slapped his arms downward. The tips collided into the snow, but there was a small and undeniable sensation of lift. He pounded the air again, spraying snow everywhere but picking his body an inch off the ground. Before gravity could take its course, he flapped again, this time becoming fully airborne. The sudden feeling of no longer being affected by gravity almost made him lose control of his flight, but he stiffened his wings, allowing the updrafts to push him higher.

"Well done!" crowed Katyusha. Canada couldn't stop the spread of his smile. He looked down, Raivis and Eduard following the two's shadows from below.

"This is…wow!" Words simply couldn't describe it. Katyusha angled herself northward, circling back around toward the house. "Where are we—?" From this angle, high in the sky, he could make out a pavilion-sized encasement made of doubled-layered ice nestled in the corner between the house and mountain.

_It was right beside us the whole time, _thought Canada in surprise.

Katyusha started humming, a beautiful note carried by the wind. "As promised?"

Canada laughed, not only from the joy of what he just accomplished but also because now it seemed so ridiculous how he couldn't get off the ground sooner. Helping with the harvesting suddenly seemed an unfair tradeoff. But it was better to have learned now than not at all.

"As promised."

* * *

_Labr__ï__t_ / _Dobroye utro_ – "Good morning" in Latvian and Russian, respectfully.

"Spotlight: Canada/Togekiss"- First thing before I start—I knew from the moment I was selecting pokémon, Canada was _not_ going to be a Cubchoo/Beartic or a Bidoof/Bibarel. But even though I have my reasons, I don't mind when people pair Canada with any of these pokémon since most of the time I do like the pairing. It's just while planning this story I could never see him _as_ one of them. Now then, on with the explanation. Since I'm almost confident he's biologically related to America, I wanted to make them something related, and since I already had America planned, that meant I needed another bird. After mulling over several limited choices, I finally chose Togekiss. I'll confess that I'm not too entirely pleased with the result, but it can work. Both are kind and tender, are weak looking at first glance, and just want to be friends with everyone. And considering the location he currently is in, it's very easy to overlook Togekiss Canada in all that snow and ice. But for the record, if legendaries didn't play as much an important role in the story, Canada was originally supposed to be an Articuno as I feel Articuno fits him much better.


	8. Chapter 8

**Good news and bad news. Good news- Here's another chapter! Bad news- I'm going to have to update every 3 weeks instead of 2. :( I think when I said in one of my responses that I hope nothing pops up at the last second I jinxed myself. *sigh***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set when England, America, and China gathered in the center of the village. All the citizens were present to see what the newcomers had learned.

"I'll take it training went splendidly?" Grand Chief Stoutland asked while the three nations stood before him and the other chiefs.

"You can see for yourselves," America said with a cocky grin. He stepped forward. "Hit me with your best shot!"

Chief Camerupt stamped the earth, and several large slabs of stone erupted from the ground. America charged toward one of the rocks and scaled vertically along its side, gripping with his sharp talons. When he reached the top, he launched himself off the edge.

America displayed a beautiful, if not overly showy, aerial flight. His newly-found mastery of angling and speed acceleration was quite evident as much as England couldn't help admitting; the way he pulled off rolls and dives effortlessly was nothing short of impressive. It was like he had been flying his whole life.

Swooping low, America grabbed hold onto a tip of one of the erect boulders and snapped it clean off. He flung the rock high into the air then soared straight up after it. It was a race between him and the broken piece of stone, which weighed no less than several pounds, to see which could make it to the peak of their flight first. When the stone finally reached its pinnacle and slowly made its way back to earth, America dove down after it, quickly catching up. He extended his claws, grabbed the rock, then crushed it between his talons, creating a smoky cloud of dust and rock debris. The pokémon on the ground cheered in excitement.

The tiny rocks fell back to the earth and America landed next to England. "Not bad," the Briton complimented to America as China dashed forward, snatching one of the pebbles with his whip-like fur before it hit the ground. He tossed the pebble back up and performed a rather elegant series of twirls and leaps. It was a juggling dance: He moved fluidly and captivatingly like flowing water through the labyrinth of boulders, all the while keeping the stone airborne through the use of his limbs, be it his fur, his head, or even his tail.

At last, he caught the stone and, scooping up another off the ground, flung them both into the sky. They collided and crumpled into dust in much a similar fashion as America's finale. Again, the gathered pokémon cheered. Wordlessly, England stepped forward as China stepped back. "That was pretty cool," America whispered to China as the two of them watched England.

The Gallade exhaled slowly, concentrating. Then he straightened his form and brought his arms forward, the ends of his elbows extending into swords. He launched himself toward an intact boulder and swung at it with his makeshift blades. The movements were so fast that the eyes barely registered when he completed one swing and was moving into another. After a few seconds he leaped back, and another second later the boulder collapsed from its numerous slices. But as the pieces slid to the ground, a green aura surrounded both them and England; and with a twirl of his finger, he twisted the rocks into a miniature funnel. He had them stack on top of each other, where they combined to make a very crude form of a human with a sword.

England proceeded to have a spar with his enchanted stone soldier, showing off his already advanced swordsmanship. Nonetheless, the battle was spectacular as the two opponents fought fiercely, each pulling off unexpected moves on the other and avoiding blows with the grace of wildcats. After a fierce combat, England managed to disarm the stone warrior and placed his blade against its neck. His opponent bowed on one knee, admitting defeat. The green aura faded away and the enchanted rocks broke apart into rubble. The crowd went wild.

"Dude! What the heck showing off like that?" America, who felt that he finally got to witness the pirate side of his former caretaker, was practically speechless. China clapped for England too, though he still felt his performance was the best.

The chiefs approached them. "Not too shabby," Torterra said with a grin.

"You three pulled off some impressive stuff there, hrah," admitted Camerupt.

"It seems our teachings weren't wasted on you," smirked Honchkrow.

"I believe you three are ready to travel to Kaos Island." The nations turned to Grand Chief Stoutland. "I see you three learn very fast, and I'm sure on your travels you will gain more knowledge about battling and obtain more experience as well. Come. You should rest. A hut has been prepared for you. You can leave here tomorrow morning if you so wish." The nations nodded then followed the servants to their hut.

* * *

"Ah man, did you guys see me!" America was bragging for the fifth time already. England and China groaned, though as late as it was, they couldn't get to sleep either. "I pulled off those moves and turns like they were nothing. Haha, flying is awesome! This must be how the Blue Angels feel!"

England sat up on the mat of weaved grass he was laying on. "Well you can't deny my display was the best. Channeling my powers isn't exactly easy in this body, and then having to fight at the same time? I'd like to see you try better."

"It takes much more skill to perform beautifully than to crudely fight with swords any day," China huffed at England, curling on his mat to face him. "Whips are much harder to control than swords."

America laughed again from the large nest he was resting in (and which he would never admit to the other two was actually quite comfortable). "But today was something. I can't wait to see what tomorrow has. Heeeee, I'm just so excited! Who knew being a pokémon would be a blast!"

"You know, we really should get some sleep," England muttered seriously. "Things may seem cool now, America, but we weren't put through training for nothing. And don't forget, we need to reach Kaos Island as soon as possible so we can reunite with the others and go home; we can't dawdle around any longer. The sooner we find that Madam Whatshername, the sooner we find the Time's Adamant and get home."

* * *

"We just have one more thing to give you."

Everyone in the village was gathered around the gate. America, China, and England were ready to head out, the lattermost carrying a bag made of leaves containing basic supplies and two days worth of food. Grand Chief Stoutland handed them a rolled piece of paper similar to the folded map in the bag, only this one had a strange paw print seal on it. "When you reach the guard of Magirena, show them this seal. It'll be your entry into the desert city."

"Thank you," said England as he put the document in the bag. "Also, should it happen, if you come across three others like us, could you also direct them toward Kaos Island? Their names would be France, Russia, and Canada. They're lost, too, in this world."

"I shall remember that should we meet," the Grand Chief bowed. With a final farewell, the three exited the village, travelling the path heading northward.

Several hours later, the trio took a break, England deciding to check the map to make sure they were still on course. "Okay, judging by the map, at the pace we're going at we should arrive at the Vasand Desert in two days time, and reach Magirena the following afternoon."

"Not that looking ahead will make much of a difference but how long will it take to reach the island after resting in Magirena, aru?" China asked. England shook his head.

"At least a week."

"Well you guys are going too slow," remarked America from above, circling just low enough to hear his comrades, "If you guys flew, we'd be there much faster."

"And what do you want us to do? Sprout wings and fly?" England angrily retorted, "Stop bragging that you're the only one who can fly, America. We're doing the best we can here! Why don't you give some reasonable suggestions, huh?"

The Valiant Pokémon had no response to that as he just soared higher up. From where he was at, he could see the very edges of the sandy area that made the desert. Behind him, not shown on the map, ran tiny mountain ranges along the coastline to the southeast and southwest. He knew the ocean lay right behind them, not just because the guide said so but the faint smell of salt water was being carried by the wind.

All in all, a perfect picturesque scene.

"KRHAAAA!"

"America, behind you!"

"Huh?" America barely had time to glide out of the way as a brown creature bulleted right past him. "Wai…wha?" He was trying to register what was going on.

"YOU!" The bird that attacked him circled around. The creature was a mass of brown feathers and…_bones_? What sort of vulture was this? "Fight me, Braviary!"

"Who _are_ you?" The American figured it probably wasn't the best idea to get into an aerial battle if he could help it, particularly if he had no idea why he was being challenged in the first place. But the vulture didn't give him another answer as she opened her mouth and fired a dark beam of swirling energy at him. This time her attack hit, causing the eagle to tumble downward and barely keep himself in the air.

"England, we have to help him," China turned to see England muttering something under his breath, his palms facing the circling vulture.

"I'm trying. But I can't manipulate magic as easily in this body. And if she'd just stay still for a bloody second…" China took the incentive to leap into the nearest tree then launch himself at the bird. Despite the shortness of his legs, his muscles enabled him to jump high into the air and straight onto the bird's back. He wrapped his arms around her eyes.

"KYAA! Let go! Let go!" The bird bucked, trying to shake the Mienshao off of her. China shoved her head forward, causing her to nosedive toward the ground. But she quickly fought back and flapped upward after a few seconds, reaching the safety of the sky again.

"Hang on, dude!" America, recovered now, charged at the blind vulture, striking her square in the back. Again, she fell below the tree line before she regained control over her flight.

A large green circle suddenly appeared around her. Its size shrunk, entrapping the creature and binding her wings to her side. She plummeted to the earth. As she fell, America grabbed China's fur with his claws, and the two of them glided the rest of the way down. The bird, not nearly as fortunate, crashed into the ground.

"Stop struggling," England spoke as he approached the creature. "Now, would you be so kind as to tell us why you're attacking us?" But the bird only glared at America.

"You coward. Having to rely on the help of others to finish your battles, Braviary?"

America instantly bristled. "Listen lady—I don't know who you're angry with, but I'm not them. My name is America; I just happen to be a Braviary."

"Now you consider yourself a level of a Pokélite?" sneered the vulture, "You must be doing your convocation proud."

"I don't have a convocation, whatever that is. I'm from—" But England elbowed him. "I…I'm from very far away from here," he finished lamely, rubbing his sore front. "That hurt, you know. You forget you have blades for elbows?"

The vulture leered at them. "Really? Am I to believe you don't come from the Braviary tribe?"

"It's true," China confirmed, "None of us are from around here. We just came from a village not too far back. We have proof if you want." He dashed over to their belongings, grabbed the seal, and ran back to the bird, showing her it. He carefully unrolled it, allowing the creature to read whatever scribbles were on it. Her eyes darted across the paper and her expression slowly softened. At last she looked up at the group.

"It seems I've made a terrible mistake." She looked directly at America, true regret in her eyes. "Erm…Mr. America? Can you ever accept my sincerest apologies? I thought you were someone else."

"Sure thing." Britain and China were _almost_ shocked by how quickly America forgave her. "But, seriously, why were you attacking me? I get you're angry at some Braviary, but why?"

"Not _some_ Braviary," growled the bird as England released his spell, "The whole flock of them. You see those western passes over there? That's where their tribe lives. My colony is about to go to war with them."

"To war?" England furrowed his brows, "We were never told of any wars."

"How come?" America asked, completely ignoring the Gallade. "Aren't Braviary heroic pokémon who fight for justice?"

"Maybe in your land the rumors are true, but here they're nothing but scoundrels. I'll tell you this: they killed our queen's daughter. The poor chick was buried in a landslide caused by those rogues. And we weren't even there to save her…"

"I'm so sorry." And America truly sounded sincere.

"Yes, quite." England, obviously, wasn't as. "Listen, we're in a bit of a hurry right now. Do you know if there is a faster path to Magirena? We need to get there as soon as possible." He showed her the map and path they were currently taking.

"Sorry, but there's no quicker road that leads there. If you're really in a hurry, I suggest cutting through the mountain pass. But there's no path there, so if you get lost you're on your own."

"We'll risk it," voiced China. England nodded in affirmation.

"In that case, let me tell my flock of your presence. I'll have the Queen grant you special access through as an apology on my behalf." The vulture winked at America before taking off in the direction of the eastern mountains. The trio headed toward the pass.

"Don't even think about it," England said suddenly. America blinked.

"About what?"

"About helping those birds." The Valiant Pokémon stiffened a bit. "I know that's what you were planning on doing."

"But they need our help. You heard them. Their leader's daughter—"

"—Is not any of our business," the Gallade interrupted, "Our goal is to get home, not help every poor pokémon we come across. Besides, this is only a game."

"But if we really are in the game, what if we can't advance unless we help them?" America argued.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Besides, even in games, you don't have to complete every side quest in order to win."

As fate would have it, after taking the route through the pass, the three managed to get themselves lost in a matter of minutes. Such is the end result when you leave the map in the wings of someone who tries looking for European and Asian countries in North America. "I knew we shouldn't have let you lead!" England was angry at the bird for his insistent begging to take the lead as well as at himself for giving in to it.

"Aw, cheer up, guys!" smiled America, "I'll just see where we are from the sky again." He jumped up into the air once more. "Hm? Hey, there's a small village up ahead in the direction we're going. Why didn't I see it on the map?"

"Probably because that village isn't along the main path," reasoned China, "Come on, you two. I bet we can ask someone there for directions."

They approached the tiny village. Unlike the previous one, this one had no wall protecting it from outsiders. So they could clearly see all the inhabitants huddled in a large mob in the center. "What's going on?" China wondered as they stepped forward. Several voices floated out from the middle.

"We're sorry, Captain, but we will not be assisting in your battle with the Mandibuzz. Our village has no troubled history with either of the bird tribes," a female spoke.

"But I assure you your aid will be most beneficial," a confident and authoritative male's voice rang, "And you have my word that my flock will be protecting your village as if it were their own from the Mandibuzz during the battle."

"We said 'no,'" a second male's voice, a little younger but carrying far less emotion, answered.

"But the Mandibuzz are vile creatures! Surely you do not want such foul pokémon roaming around. Need I remind you what they did to my son?"

"We do regret the unfortunate accident that befell your son—" the first voice said.

"It was no accident!" squawked the commanding voice.

"—But we still will not assist you. We are a peaceful tribe, and you and the Mandibuzz know full well we'd never declare war on either of you. If we are able to get along with both tribes, why can't you coexist with each other?"

By this time, the nations pushed themselves through the crowd to see what was going on. In the center of the ring, several pokémon seemed to square off. Toward the left of the circle were three pokémon. One was a tiny white and green flowery animal. On its right was a taller bird-like creature covered in yellow and orange feathers and had three claws at the end of its long wings. On the flower creature's left was a yellow and burgundy weasel-like pokémon, not too different in physiology from China, though lacking the long fur on the end of its arms.

Toward the right of the ring stood a tall and proud Braviary. He was larger than America, and his vibrant blue and grey wings had a shine that America's feathers lacked and which seemed to sparkle each time he moved them. And in the middle, standing in between the two parties though closer to the outskirts of the ring, was a miniature white pony with blue horns, hooves, and tail and a bushy flaming orange mane that looked too large for it. This horse spoke next to the Braviary. "I already said, Captain, that I'm willing to help you if you want."

"SEALAND!?" England shouted, and everyone nearby turned to look at him, "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" The pony blinked, confused. The blue Braviary, on the other hand, stepped over to the trio, wrapping a wing around America.

"Brother! Has the news of our crisis already reached your territory and you have come to provide support for our tribe?" America struggled to get out of the embrace.

"Sorry dude, but I don't know what you're talking about. We just came here to ask for directions." The villagers murmured amongst themselves. The larger Braviary frowned.

"You mean you won't help us stop the Mandibuzz?"

"What's a Mandibuzz?"

The blue Bravairy looked shocked. "The Mandibuzz– those vultures that live on the eastern mountains. Those monsters need to be eradicated for what they have done! I shall not rest until we make each of them pay for their crime."

"That can't be right," America said, finally breaking free, "The Mandibuzz didn't do anything wrong! You guys were the ones who killed their queen's daughter. Doesn't that make you the villains?" A fiery and intense hatred burned behind the Braviary's eyes.

"Do not lecture me on who is in the wrong and who is not, fledgling. You have no right. It is the Mandibuzz who committed the ultimate betrayal. They struck us, in the middle of our hunt and when we were least prepared. There were hardly any of us at the nest. I wasn't even there to protect my only son." He looked down in angry shame, and America couldn't help but feel a tiny wave of pity for him. "I couldn't save him from the boulders." No one said anything for the longest time. Then the flower pokémon waddled forward.

"We understand that you are upset, but revenge is not the best course of action. As a leader, Captain, it's your job to be aware of that. Please, reconsider this." The captain didn't respond. Instead, he gave a heated look to America.

"You'll see soon enough who are the just and who are the wicked." Then he leapt into the air, his wing beats creating huge gusts of wind. The entire village watched as he flew away. The yellow weasel pokémon folded his arms.

"Like, good riddance."

"Kaoru!" the flower pokémon turned on him, "That's awfully rude. Don't say things like that so casually."

"Yeah, I guess. But we told him 'no'. It's not, like, my fault he can't get it through his thick head we don't want to fight."

"That's true," said the flaming-colored bird, "But I'm sure everything will work out in the end, da-ze~!"

"Why are you always so optimistic, Yong Soo?" the one named Karou asked him. The bird grinned.

"Because optimism comes from me, da-ze~!"

The crowd began to disperse. The flowery creature walked over to the trio. "Sorry about that spectacle. It's bad enough our little village hardly gets any visitors; you also had to witness such a scene. Welcome! I am Mei." She bowed. "And these are my assistants Kaoru and Yong Soo." The weasel and bird waved.

"England," the Gallade introduced himself.

"America," the Braviary did the same.

China didn't speak. "You okay?" America noticed the Mienshao was simply staring straight at the three others, mouth hanging open.

"…Taiwan?" he finally uttered in disbelief, "Hong Kong? Korea?" The pokémon before them looked at each other, baffled.

"Oh, I must remind you of another Shaymin," Mei concluded, "That's okay. I guess we're not too uncommon, so I understand."

"And I didn't know you had Combusken where you're from," smiled Yong Soo, lifting his wing to shake their hands. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if there were Mienfoo like Kaoru. His kind are all over the place, da-ze."

"Whatever," Kaoru waved off the very mild tease. Now with the pleasantries over…

"Hey you jerk!" The small horse headbutted England quite roughly behind the legs, almost knocking him down. "I was just about to be appointed into Captain Braviary's army. Thanks a lot."

"I should be asking what _you're_ doing here, Sealand!" England rounded on him. The horse cocked his head slightly.

"Sealand? No, I'm Peter. Peter the Keldeo." He then smiled. "Hey! Does that mean you've heard about me from somewhere? There aren't too many Keldeo left to be mistaken for, you know."

"Sorry kiddo," America smirked cheerily, "You just remind him of someone he hates back home."

"I don't _hate_ him…" grumbled the Brit.

"So are you three really here to ask for directions?"

"Yes," China addressed Mei. "We're trying to get to Magirena, and a Mandibuzz told us to go through the mountain pass."

"She's right," Yong Soo said, "But you'll be heading too far west if you cut through our village. Once you leave here, take the footpath that leads back toward the eastern mountains, then you can get back on the main road to the desert."

"Thank you," China said. England nodded.

"Right, let's get going then." The three silently headed toward the exit. As they left, England let out a deep growl, quickly followed by, "America, don't!" America had stopped just before leaving the village's premise.

"But England, it's not just the Mandibuzz anymore. We have to help—"

"—Don't you dare say you share any kinship with the Braviary tribe." Britain was beginning to grow impatient with the American and his constant need to act the hero.

"I was going to say we have to help the villagers. Their home is in the middle of the two mountains." America looked him square in the eyes. "You guys can go ahead. But I want to thank Mei and the others personally for getting us through the mountains by saving their home." And he turned and walked away.

"Tch! That moron," England growled before sputtering in surprise when he saw China also walk back. "Oi! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to help this village too," China stated adamantly. Britain folded his arms.

"Let me guess– those three reminded you of your friends back home?"

The Mienshao stopped. Without turning around to look at England, he said, "They're too much like Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong, aru, and I'd never abandon those three if I could help it. Mei, Yong Soo, and Kaoru may not be them, but…"

England sighed. "I guess there's no helping it now; though I would have thought going home was our top priority." He reluctantly followed China back into the village.

* * *

"Spotlight: France/Serperior"- Regal in appearance and proud in attitude, France really makes a fine Serperior. Serperior is a Pokémon who doesn't give it its all unless against someone it deems a powerful opponent (you know, that might explain why France keeps losing his battles—he doesn't take them seriously). There was a reason I didn't want him to be a Roserade, another Pokémon I considered him to be…what was it again…oh yeah—the Leaf Blade. Serperior carries the Leaf Blade, and we can't deny—despite his battle track—France is an amazing swordsman.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

They've been over and over and _over_ this again, and each time they did, England thought the plan was getting simpler and simpler. Which was exactly what he wanted so that they could leave already. So why was it each time they went over this, someone had a bloody question to ask? "What is the matter _now_?" he glared at America, who had risen his wing.

"Yeah, um, how does this stop the impending doom again?"

"For the love of– have you seriously never heard of negotiations?" That was essentially the plan. Though both tribes declared war, the actual battle had yet to occur, so they still had time to reason with the two sides and prevent the conflict from escalating. Simple plan really.

"Yeah, but what's to say the Mandibuzz will listen to us?"

England folded his arms. "There isn't. However, they haven't sent a representative here asking for aid. Perhaps they aren't as inclined to start the fight. If that's the case, we need to take advantage of that." He looked around at the group.

Mei sighed. "And you're sure this is the only way?" she asked the nations, a hint of worry slipping into her otherwise calm voice. No one could blame her for being a little skeptical about all this– this did, after all, concern the fate of her small village.

"It's either this or evacuating the village, assuming you want to remain neutral," China answered, arms also crossed, "Or you can fight back by taking a side. But we won't help if you do." The village leader nodded.

"Thank you. We understand how much time this is taking from your travel, and I want to tell you just how much I appreciate your assistance."

"Me too," added Yong Soo, "Especially since appreciation comes from me!" Kaoru simply nodded his head in agreement.

"So this is it?" England asked the group as a whole. No one opposed. He grinned. If things kept up at this pace, they'll soon be continuing their way to—

Peter ran through the leaf curtain acting as the door to the group's private hut. "Hey, everybody—we've got trouble! The Mandibuzz are here!"

"What?" They all quickly followed the young horse outside where a mass of the large brown vultures marched into the village. Though leading the group, the queen was only barely distinguishable from her troop: instead of a collar of light brown feathers, hers was made of dark purple. But like the captain of the Braviary, her feathers seemed to glitter each time she moved them.

"Queen Mandibuzz," Mei bowed respectfully toward the queen, "My friend, may I ask why you have come to visit my humble village?" America rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly, wondering what was up with all the formalities. Obviously the Mandibuzz came to ask for their help in the war.

"Can't friends come to congratulate each other? I just heard of the news that your species has been bestowed the Legendary status, and I came to show my respects." She and her flock bowed their heads. England and China looked at the scene with raised eyebrows while Peter was staring at Mei, eyes wide and mouth comically hanging open and America simply grinned at the Shaymin.

"Cool."

The queen heard America and gazed up at him rather coolly. "A Braviary? I was unaware one was present here." Her face looked calm enough, but everyone could hear the subtle iciness carried in her voice. One of the Mandibuzz from behind stepped forward.

"My queen, this is the group I spoke to you of earlier. Mr. America most definitely does not have any affiliations with the Braviary tribe." America recognized the voice—it was the Mandibuzz they met earlier. She noticed America's gaze and winked. America grinned again before bowing—dramatically, but politely—to the queen. He might as well humor her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

The queen's expression instantly lightened. "Ah, so you are the three who need to get through the pass. Well, I do grant you permission. And seeing as you are a Braviary, I'm sure those heathens will let you by unbothered as well. But if you would please excuse us, I have some private matters to discuss with my friend."

"What happened to just giving congratulations, da-ze?" Yong Soo muttered under his breath, but he and Kaoru led the others away, back toward their private hut. Peter was the first to start the conversation once everyone was inside.

"Mei is a Legendary pokémon?"

"Huh? Oh– the Mandibuzz leader did make a comment on that," England recalled. "I'll take it that's something of importance?"

"Of course it is, you jerk! If she's a Legendary, then I don't get why all this is a problem." Peter was looking at Yong Soo and Kaoru as he said this. "She can just go out and kick those birds' tail-feathers, can't she?"

"Not quite, da-ze," Yong Soo chuckled, "It's not that simple."

"What is a Legendary? You guys are making it seem like it's someone special, aru," asked the Mienshao.

"They are." Surprisingly, America was the one who explained. "A lot of them are really rare and super strong. If you manage to befriend one in the game, you pretty much get to win every battle. Yeah, I remember now that Shaymin is considered a Legendary pokémon."

"How did you hear about that?" Kaoru questioned him, raising a brow, "The promotion was just recently made. But I, like, won't deny that you're correct. Legendary pokémon are rare and powerful pokémon who help contribute to the world's peace and order. Like, most Legendaries are recognized for being descendants of those who partook in the Battle of the Sealing."

"Battle of the Sealing? What's that?"

Peter gaped incredulously at England once the question left his mouth. "How do you _not_ know it? _Every_ pokémon has heard of it; it's practically the first thing you learn growing up. But then again, you guys don't know what a Legendary pokémon is." England scowled as the Keldeo continued on. "A long time ago, the world was at peace. Three Great Dragons ruled the lands; them being Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina. They were each born with the powers of the universe—or Space, Time, and the Reverse since you wouldn't know—to keep the world balanced. At first, everything was right-o, but as millennia passed, their power corrupted them. Each slowly became suspicious the others would use their abilities to take over their kingdom.

"The normal pokémon tried to reason with the lords, wanting to prevent war. But the three clashed anyway. Dialga froze time across the land and all life in it, and Palkia distorted the continent to the point where whole areas became inhabitable. But the worst was Giratina, who devoured or destroyed anyone who did not swear loyalty to him. And he could transport scores of pokémon between dimensions to a world we call the Other Side. Those who went were never heard or seen from again. Just when the world was about to be split in two, a great pokémon descended from the heavens. He goes by a lot of names—the Alpha, the Creator, and the Judge are the ones I can remember—but whoever he was, he came to bring an end to the fighting. You see, the legend states he was the one who made the Great Dragons and felt it was his duty to stop them. They say their battles crumbled mountains and transformed forests into deserts.

"Despite his valiant efforts, the heavenly pokémon was outnumbered. The Great Dragons were planning to eliminate him once and for all in their final battle, the Battle of the Sealing, and the whole world knew it. That's when a small group of pokémon came forth to offer their assistance to the Alpha. It was an intense fight, and much of the continent was destroyed, but in the end, the Alpha and his helpers won, and dealt out the punishment afterward. First, he sealed half of their powers in three special stones which were scattered across the land so that the Great Dragons couldn't reclaim them. Then he split what remained of the continent into two lands, what are now called Palsama and Diasama, in reference to the lords."

"Hold on a second. What about Giratina?" America interrupted.

Kaoru interjected. "His crimes were, like, more unforgivable than the other two's. Time and Space can easily be restored; not lives. Giratina and all who, like, swore loyalty to him were banished forever to the Other Side. And instead of land, it was decided the ocean that separated the two new continents would be, like, called the Gir-Ou Ocean."

"Oi! I'm telling the story," whined the Keldeo, stamping his hoof. The Mienfoo rolled his eyes. "So like the jerk said, Giratina was sealed away to the Reverse Side. Dialga and Palkia were each sealed in a pocket of time and space. To make sure the seals remained closed and something like this never happened again, the Alpha asked the powerful pokémon who allied with him if they could protect and balance the earth. Which, of course, they did. So in honour of their deeds, all their descendants are bestowed the status of Legendary."

The countries simply stared at the colt. England finally spoke. "You know, I think we really should try to get home as soon as possible now."

"Agreed," nodded China, "Then I will not have to worry any more about all this confusing nonsense, aru."

"You got that right," America sighed.

"What was so confusing about that!?"

"Anyway," Yong Soo interrupted, putting a wing over Peter's mouth before he started talking again, "Long story short, Legendaries helped defeat the Great Dragons. It was discovered a Shaymin helped take down Giratina. So now, all the Shaymin in the land will be recognized as Legendary pokémon."

"Ah." Now England got it, though he couldn't understand why the descendants were given the glory because of something their ancestors did. Also, Peter now had a point. If Mei was a Legendary, why not end the fighting herself? "How strong is she?"

"Pardon?" Yong Soo and Kaoru asked.

"How strong is Mei? Peter's right– if Legendary pokémon are as powerful as you say, why doesn't she just stop this war before it happens?"

"As I said before, da-ze, it's not that simple. Mei is really close with the Captain and the Queen. They've been friends since childhood." The others present had looks of surprise at the news. "Our three tribes have lived in this pass for many generations, but until recently, the Mandibuzz Clan and Braviary Tribe were always hostile toward each other. They had to share the same hunting grounds, mating grounds, air territory—almost everything, da-ze. When Mei became leader of our village, she tried to make peace between the other two leaders. It seemed impossible to get them to agree to drop a decades-long rivalry, but somehow she did it. Our relationships began to improve, and trade actually emerged, proving prosperous for all three of our tribes, da-ze! But then…" Yong Soo sighed. "I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but soon both tribes were claiming the other killed their leader's child. Tensions flared right back up from where they left off. It's been a mess! And now war is about to erupt."

What the Combusken just said made America ponder on something. "Hold on a second. You say you don't know why the Braviary and Mandibuzz are attacking, but they say the other is the cause for starting the fight? Is it just me or am I missing something? Because it sounds like there's been some sort of misunderstanding."

"What do you mean?" Kaoru, Yong Soo, and Peter asked together. But England nodded.

"Right, I was just thinking the same thing, too. No one seems to know who instigated the fight. All we do know is the leaders' children were killed, but no one has said who was the first to strike."

China concluded with, "So this is all just pointless fighting leading to an even more pointless battle." The other three pokémon had wide eyes now, astounded to hear such a thing.

"We just assumed the Braviary and Mandibuzz wanted to start up their prejudice again," admitted Kaoru, but England instantly held up a hand to silence him.

"I can't fathom why. Yong Soo said himself trade had emerged and all the tribes prospered. Even amongst longtime enemies, I can't see why anyone would willingly give that up just to continue some silly spat that brings no benefit." The other two nations nodded in agreement.

"So what are you saying?" Peter eyed the Gallade, clearly a little upset that it now seemed they were back where they started. Which couldn't be further from the truth. England looked back at the young colt then at the group as a whole.

"I'm saying we need a new plan. And I think I know what we need to do."

* * *

I'm sorry this chapter is short. There was originally more to it but what happens next has two parts, and I didn't want to separate those scenes with four chapters. I also had the worst writer's block yet while writing this.

"Spotlight: Russia/Dragonite"- Large and powerful. This accurately describes both Russia and Dragonite. Dragonite's design makes it look like it's a friendly and docile creature (and it generally is), but if you get it mad– watch out. Both can go on a bloody rampage if you push them too much. I know it seems weird that I would make Russia a creature exceptionally weak to ice when he's from a country practically cloaked in snow, but I figured Russia was so strong he wouldn't let the cold bother him. Fun fact: I don't picture Russia as a typical version of his species. In this case, he doesn't have a horn on the top of his head. This fact has absolutely no impact on the story.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

Italy stirred under the covers, wondering very briefly where he was and how he got there. "About time you woke up," a child's voice huffed angrily at him.

_What? Who said that?_ Italy sat up, coming face to face with his reflection. "Oh? Hi there!" His reflection huffed again.

"Good. You're awake." Germany walked over to Italy as the 'reflection' turned tail and hopped off the bed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Italy nodded, "But I can't exactly remember what was wrong with me in the first place. Where are we? And why am I in a bed?" Fortunately, Japan walked into the room not too shortly after Lovino left, and he answered his friend's questions.

"We're currently at an estate. Lovino and Antonio took us in when they saw you were about to evolve."

"What's that?" Italy cocked his head.

"You were about to transform," replied Germany, "It would have altered your data, leaving you stuck here in the game. Lovino had to give you his Everstone." He pointed to the stone necklace around the Eevee's neck. "So do not take that off. Understand?"

"Yes sir!" Italy nodded with a grin. With the questions answered, Japan turned his attention to Germany.

"I was able to get some information about the area. None of the pokémon here will be able to help us. The field hands are either too weak or unable to be spared to assist us. But they did tell me there is another elite household some ways away, about half a day's walk from here. They say if we are able to win their trust, they might be able to spare us a guide or a guard to get us through the mountains."

"Win their trust? I don't like the sound of that," Germany noted.

"Me neither, but we don't have much else of a choice. It's either that or level grinding."

"Level grinding?" Germany asked, confused.

"Ehm, it's a gaming term; it's another way of saying to train."

"We might end up having to do that anyway," answered Germany. He told the other two that they would rest here just a little bit longer to make certain Italy was well enough to travel. About two hours later, Antonio, Matilda, and Lovino were seeing the Axis off.

"Take care, moo," the Miltank waved farewell.

"Sí. The road is fairly straightforward, but be weary of bandits," Antonio advised. Lovino stepped forward to Italy.

"Don't you dare lose my Everstone," he growled, "That's one of my favorites."

"But Lovino," smiled the Tauros, "You have a whole clutter of Everstones hidden all over the house. I'm sure it wouldn't matter even if he loses it."

"I don't care—just don't lose it. It would be stupid if the idiot went and evolved after all the trouble we went through to save him."

Italy smiled warmly. "Nessun problema. I'll take good care of it; don't you worry." He paused. "You know, I'm kinda sad to be leaving now. You remind me a lot of my older fratel–"

"Pwah!" snorted Lovino, "I don't want to hear about another fully-grown Eevee; just go already!" And he stormed back inside without a second glance. With nothing more to say, the three went on their way, receiving a few farewells from the workers. The plan was to get as close to their destination as possible before resting.

* * *

"How much farther to we have to go?" Italy was complaining again. Germany forced himself not to turn around and whack the Italian.

"We've only been walking for two hours. Stop complaining; that is the eighth time already."

"But I didn't realize how heavy this stone was," whimpered the Eevee. Germany raised a brow.

"That tiny pebble? I know you're not the strongest nation, Italy, but it would be ridiculous to hear you're having problems carrying that."

"But it's true."

Germany turned around, lifting the stone with a paw. It didn't feel particularly heavy to him; then again, he was much taller and stronger than Italy and not carrying it around his neck. "We'll see what we can do about it later. For now, try to tough it up until we—"

"Shh!" Germany and Italy stopped when Japan shushed them, just noticing he had fallen behind the two.

"Japa—"

"Shh!" He didn't move a muscle. Instead, he was listening very intently to the calm air. After a few seconds of tense silence he said quietly, "Do you sense that?"

The German and Italian looked at each other then back at Japan, shaking their heads.

"It's getting stronger." Now Japan was looking behind them. He took a very tentative step back.

"Do you sense an enemy?" Germany didn't dare speak over a whisper.

"I'm not sure. It feels more like—" The Absol's eyes widened. "Get down!" Japan tackled his two stunned friends, knocking them to the ground. Not a moment too soon a loud, near-deafening roar vibrated the air, and a large beam of purplish pink energy suddenly zoomed over them, barely missing Germany and Japan's horns. The destruction it caused when it collided with the trees was enough to send debris flying, blinding the trio with smoke and splintered wood. When the three were able to look up, they saw and could barely register that the entire area was wavering. Either their eyes were playing tricks on them or their surroundings really were shifting around and morphing like disturbed water. Eventually, everything solidified into place, though nothing looked like how it had been before. It looked to be as if they were in another area of the forest.

"Scheiße! What is going on? And what in the world was that?"

"Was it a bandit?" wailed Italy.

"No, it must have been some sort of attack!" Japan gasped, looking around for whoever could have launched it.

A powerful voice bellowed from somewhere beyond. "_Leave…Leave…Intruders of the Kingdom of Space…go back to where you came…_" Germany froze, and for the first time in a very long time he was unable to make a decisive move. The voice told them to go back. But where to? They didn't know where they were anymore. Had they somehow been teleported? Or did the voice mean back to their world? They were still trying to figure out how to do that. And did that mean it knew they weren't really pokémon? And on top of all that, who did that voice belong to? There were just too many questions!

Another roar ripped through the air, and the three canines flinched. Judging by the anger in its cry, if they did not find a way to leave soon, they would face its wrath and possibly another powerful attack like before. "Germany, I'm scared!" cried Italy, ducking behind the larger friend, "What should we do?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm not sticking around to find out what that was. We should retreat!" The canines raced down the path, frequently looking behind to see if another energy beam was heading their way. They crashed through brush and low branches, not even caring about all the commotion they were making. "Do you see it?"

"No," Japan exhaled, taking a glance back. With Japan looking behind, Germany turned his attention forward—and saw himself nearly collide into a pair of teeth aimed right at his head. It was only thanks to his reflexes gained from war he sidestepped the attacker at the very last millisecond, his movements urging Italy and Japan to do the same. The creature that assaulted him nimbly landed behind him, quickly spinning around to face him.

"Heh! Not bad," it smirked. Then it charged and headbutted Germany under the jaw. The Houndoom's feet left the ground, and he toppled backwards, bewildered. "But I didn't become General for falling for tricks like that."

"Germany!" Japan and Italy ran over to Germany, checking to make sure he was okay.

"Say something!" cried Italy.

"…Autsch!…" Germany had a bit of a struggle rolling over and standing back up.

His attacker seemed to simply shake off the head injury. "Wow, firm jaw. You're a lot tougher than you look." The pokémon before them was probably a canine like the rest of them. He had light silver fur with black markings, and a black mane flowed down his back and side. Red eyes glinted dangerously at the trio. "So you had enough?"

"Not even close." Germany took a confident step forward. Why did he suddenly have the desire to fight this creature? But it didn't matter; one little push wasn't enough to make him turn tail and run…figuratively speaking.

"Don't fall for the Taunt," warned Japan quietly, but the German didn't hear him. His opponent smirked.

"Glad to hear. Give me a good battle; I haven't had one of those in a long time. And don't think I'll go easy just 'casue you're a Pokélite or whatever." The fur on his back bristled. "I've been aching for a fight." He lunged. Germany pushed forward, ready to face his opponent in the center. The other dog reared on his hind legs and swiped at Germany with his forepaw. Germany easily dodged the assault and, without thinking, turned his head to bite down on the exposed paw. His opponent quickly retracted the limb.

The opponent then pushed himself off the ground and arched in the air, ready to bite Germany from above. For a moment, the German wondered whether he should use his horns to block, but realizing he had no idea how much protection they would provide for his neck opted to shift to the left, out of the path of the attack. The moment the silver-black dog landed, the Houndoom lowered his head and charged forward. He connected with the other's side, sending him flying away a few feet.

His opponent coughed once, shaking the dirt out of his glossy coat. "Not…too bad. You're not some weak spoiled brat like Roderich is. You battle often?"

"Nein, not anymore."

His opponent flashed his teeth. "Then beware, mien Freund, I'm not going to hold back any longer." With lightning speed he rushed forward. Germany barely had time to register the sudden distance covered and reared on his hind legs when the other canine snapped at his jugular. The second he saw how Germany reacted, the silver hound pivoted on his front paws, twisting his body around and bringing his tail forward. Germany was a little surprised the other planned on attacking him with his tail until said appendage glowed a brilliant white and whacked him against the neck, as hard as iron.

Had he been a human, that attack would have surely snapped his neck. Fortunately, this new body held after the assault. But Germany was still sent spiraling to the ground, lightheaded after his skull collided with the hard earth. "GERMANY!" Germany was too dizzy to get back up, and it wasn't until a few seconds passed he registered a pair of sharp teeth clamping down around the back of his neck.

"Do you surrender?" the victor growled.

"Yes, he surrenders, he surrenders!" Italy wailed. He raced to Germany's side, the latter finally collapsing. "Japan, hurry! Wave your hand around like it's a white flag or something!"

Though the Absol refrained from doing such an action he did leap forward and knock the opponent off of Germany. "That's enough. I would have thought a Mightyena had more self-respect than that."

The Mightyena grinned. "Oh, I do. But trespassers need to be taught a lesson. The Schwaradler Family is not a tribe to take—" He stopped. One of his ears flicked. "Scheiße! Not now. How could he even feel it?" He ran down the road as if ready to head something off. "Look, you put up an okay fight for someone who's never fought an awesome General like me. But if I were you, I'd leave. Like now."

"Thanks for the tip," Japan said darkly, trying to hold Germany up, "But as you can see, you've practically knocked our friend unconscious, making him incapacitated."

"Well I thought he could handle it; he said he's battled before. But that's not the point. I may have gone just a bit easy on him, but L—"

The ground erupted between Japan and the Mightyena. A large and green reptilian climbed out from the earth. Spikes adorned its back and tail, and teeth were bared into a feral growl. It took one look at the Mightyena before twisting around and spotting the other two. "A Tyranitar?" Japan gasped breathlessly. For whatever reason, that seemed to enrage the behemoth, and it released a roar.

"A d-d-dinosaur!" screamed Italy incredulously. The 'dinosaur' breathed out a pillar of fire. Japan was forced to drop Germany as he and Italy bolted to escape.

"Italy, go hide!" the Absol instructed; Italy didn't need to be told twice. He ran toward the Mightyena, seeking sanctuary behind the bemused canine's legs.

The Tyranitar angrily charged at Japan like a locomotive. The Japanese canine, though, held his ground. When he thought the time was right, he flew forward, claws outstretched and ready to slash at the beast. His talons were met by what felt like an armor of steel. "What?" Before Japan could react, the Tyranitar rammed its arm forward, knocking the air out of the white dog's lungs. Japan curled a little on the ground, protecting his bruised underside.

"Japan!" Italy was trembling terribly behind the Mightyena, who hadn't moved since the Tyranitar appeared. The green lizard turned toward him. It lumbered forward; the towering creature not even making the silver dog flinch as it approached.

"Lars, stop right there." The Tyranitar paused but continued to cast glaring daggers between the cowering Eevee and the unyielding Mightyena protecting him.

"Hmph. Gilbert, I see you are failing at your duties. Again." Italy gulped as Gilbert smiled.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Tell me I'm not the only one here who's aware there are still intruders present in our territory. They are not your playmates; get them out."

"We…we didn't mean…to trespass…" Germany groaned, slowly getting to his feet. He swayed a bit before shaking off the dizziness. "Wha—? Japan!" He hurried over to the other fallen dog.

Lars snorted again. "If you will not get them out, then I forcibly will." He inhaled deeply, possibly to breath out more fire.

"Except I can't let you hurt my guests." For a couple seconds, the two pokémon who knew each other stared at each other. Eventually Lars let go of his breath, and a stream of white smoke dribbled out.

"Guests?"

"Ja, I was just about to invite them in until you came and interrupted us."

The Tyranitar jerked a claw at Germany. "So why was that guy unconscious?"

"I was just testing him; you know how it is." Again, there was a tense silence.

"You just want another sparring partner."

"Heck yeah I do!"

Lars growled impatiently. "And if I refuse to let them in?"

"Do you wish to defy the orders of your General, Lieutenant?" The other narrowed his eyes. "I thought not. Come on, you three, we need to get you patched up. Lars, go help the Absol." The giant lizard did so, picking up Japan carefully. Japan, grateful for the assist, was still leery of the beast.

"Thank you. I can walk fine on my own." Lars turned around after giving a shrug. He and the others followed Gilbert down the road. After some minutes of travelling in silence, Gilbert looked back at the trailing pokémon.

"Don't look so down and glum. No one can defeat the awesome Gilbert in battle, kesesese! You're not the first to have tried." No response. "Whatever. You can explain everything back at the mansion."

"Mansion?" The Axis said in surprise. Did he mean that literally?

The Mightyena laughed. "You guys must be some poor Pokélites if you don't know what a mansion is."

"You really live in a mansion?" Italy was truly amazed.

"Sure we do! And it's awesomely huge. In fact, it's so big that…" And he began listing all the wonderful things about the estate. From what Germany gathered, it seemed more like a fairytale castle than a mansion.

It wasn't too long of Gilbert's incessant chatting before the troupe saw a large wall surrounding the estate. Even from the top of the hill they were on, Germany could not see past the gate. It was about three times Lars's height. Speaking of whom, when the approached the large gates of the wall, the Tyranitar split off from the group, walking down the wall's perimeter.

"Where's he going?" wondered the Eevee.

"Back to sentry duty. Don't worry about him." Gilbert returned his attention to the wall and howled very loudly. "AAooooouuu!" The three couldn't help but jump back in shock. After hearing everyone talk in this world for so long, it suddenly seemed unnatural for any of the pokémon here to resort to using such primitive means of communication.

The gate opened. Before them was probably the equivalent of a sanctuary. A large yard, acres wide and containing long and bright swaying grass, seemed to beckon the group forward. Rows upon rows of beautiful flowers and bushes lined the small walking path leading to a building worthy of being a medieval English country house. A small fountain rested in the middle, a statue of an elegant serpentine creature spouting out a spray of water. Various pokémon roamed around, all of them carrying an air of regality or of importance. This seemed like a manor for the aristocrats.

"Ve~!" Italy wagged his tail in delight, probably unaware of the action. Germany was very tempted to step on it to make him stop. "It's so big!" He ran to the fountain, admiring the sculpture in the middle. Germany and Japan followed suit as Gilbert ran to the front doors of the mansion. He didn't announce his arrival; he just reared onto his hind legs and pushed the great oaks forward. He beckoned the three inside.

The first room they walked into was probably the most elegant foyer any of them had ever seen. Grand columns stood proudly against the walls. Vases on pedestals adorned the room, both the flowers and their containers colorful and almost painted into existence by some magical brush. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling. Further ahead was a mini hall decorated with gorgeous portraits that led to the other half of the foyer. As the four of them stepped onto the polished mahogany floor, Germany couldn't help but once again be impressed by how extraordinary everything looked; he would have sworn he was still on Earth had it not been for what seemed to be a maid dusting one of the portraits.

The large mouse pokémon looked up from its work. "Oh, hello? Who might you be?"

"Nobody of importance," Gilbert walked in front of the group. The mouse cast a skeptical look at him. "They're injured, so I decided to let them rest up here." Now the mouse frowned.

"What did you do this time, Gilbert?"

"Nothing!"

"So why are those two beaten and bruised?" she indicated Germany's numerous cuts and Japan's bruise. Gilbert looked away.

"I told you, it was nothing! We might have had a short battle—"

"I knew it." The orange and brown creature zipped toward them, immediately inspecting their wounds. "What did you do to these poor fellows?"

"Lars beat up that guy!" the Mightyena tried defending himself.

"What is going on in here?" A new voiced attracted the attention of everyone in the foyer. An overgrown feline stepped into the room, casting everyone present a questioning look. The large cat, though carrying an air of nobility, reminded Germany of a cougar– a very ticked cougar who would much rather be doing something else other than interrogating.

"'Sup, Rod," Gilbert sauntered over to the cat, "Glad the Classy Cat Pokémon could finally get his butt in gear for something as important as checking up on me, but as I was telling Elizabeta, you don't have anything to worry about. Everything's fine." Roderich swatted Gilbert's nuzzling paw away.

"Who invited you here?"

"Gilbert did," Germany answered, and the Mightyena's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, "He said we could rest here until—"

"Suspension," the cat suddenly ordered, looking directly at Gilbert. Germany looked between the two, puzzled.

"Wait a moment– why is he being punished?"

"Do not take me to be some fool. Clearly Gilbert had a fight with you three. And it seems as compensation he planned to invite you to the mansion." Roderich glared at Gilbert. "Temporary demotion; two day's sentry duty effective immediately."

"What!?" the Mightyena looked outraged, "Can't you just send me to the training grounds like you used to instead?"

"The point of a punishment is for you _not_ to enjoy it," huffed the feline before turning back to the Axis. "It is against one of the mandates of this household to instigate a fight outside of necessary conflict. Gilbert shall be punished accordingly for the transgression. For the time being, please accept our hospitality as a sign of apology, and feel free to stay as long as you wish." He looked the three over again. "May I be so bold in asking who you are and why you are here?"

"Germany," the Houndoom answered for himself.

"Japan."

"And I'm Italy! Ciao!"

Roderich bowed his head. "I am Roderich, the head of this household. And this is Elizabeta. You already met the fool Gilbert."

"Watch it, Rich Kitty," growled Gilbert; Roderich merely sniffed.

"And your purpose for being here, other than by Gilbert's doing?"

"We're trying to get to some island," Italy tried explaining, "I forget what it's called…Krayus…Koalls…"

"Kaos Island," Germany corrected, "Our map says it's somewhere in the ocean, and that's where we're heading. We were hoping to find someone here who could lead us there safely." For a moment, Roderich, Elizabeta, and Gilbert stared at the guests. But soon Gilbert was rolling around on the floor, laughing like a hyena.

"W-what's so funny?" the German asked a little indignantly. The silver dog practically had tears in his eyes, and even Elizabeta was trying to hold back a snicker behind her paw.

"West!" he finally managed to cry out, "You guys are heading west to go east! Kesesesese! _West_! Oh man, that's hilarious!" He managed to sit up half-way. "You guys have almost as bad a sense of direction as Rich Kitty here."

"Do you want me to make your punishment harsher?" seethed the cat, but Gilbert continued to laugh. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Germany looked away. Perhaps someone who's never heard of the story of Christopher Columbus would find the thought ridiculous at best. Of course, these three were strange in their own rights. The way Roderich reprimanded Gilbert who, evidently, was a constant source of trouble and disobedience seemed very reminiscent to his life back home, with Austria and—

_Nein, these are different people—er—beings entirely,_ Germany reasoned in his mind.

"Anyways, we thank you for your offer of hospitality," Japan bowed to the family head. Roderich turned to leave.

"Elizabeta, if they require of anything, please provide it in my stead. And Gilbert?" He cast an angry glare back at the dog. "Effective immediately means effective immediately." Gilbert cursed him out in a string of low growls and barks before heatedly sprinting out of the house.

That left Elizabeta in charge of the men. "May I provide you dears with a tour of the house?"

* * *

_Autsch _– "Ouch" in German

_Mien Freund_ – "My friend" in German

"Spotlight: Antonio the Tauros and Lovino the Eevee"- Even though their roles are supposed to be nothing more than caretaker and charge, Antonio and Lovino have developed an interesting relationship. Since Lovino's parents are rarely home, Antonio has taken the father-like position for Lovino while another maid, Matilda the Miltank, has taken the motherly one. Lovino, though, prefers being with the Tauros over anyone else on the estate, probably because he regards Antonio as his own personal servant. Antonio doesn't mind Lovino's grumpy and oftentimes abusive nature in the slightest, believing it came about because the Eevee's real parents aren't around. But when he really starts throwing a tantrum, the Tauros makes sure to find the plumpest, juiciest Tamato Berry he can as those are Lovino's favorite food. Antonio is very lax with Lovino, but there is one thing he strives to advocate to his charge: he really wants little Lovino to evolve so that the cub will not have to be dependent on servants forever. Lovino hates the idea of evolution but has admitted that _if_ he were to evolve, he would want to be either a Flareon or Umbreon, claiming there were very few jobs those Eeveelutions could do.

So this was technically my first battle scene. Please tell me what you think and how I should improve since they will be becoming a lot more frequent from now on.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

"And coming up on the left is our dance studio," Elizaveta pointed ahead to the large wooden doors down the hall. Italy bounded ahead of the Raichu, peering in through the enormous window. Inside the grand room were dozens of beetle-like pokémon buzzing around the room, their tails aglow. "This is where the dancing troupe practices. Normally, it's the Volbeat and Illumise who rehearse here."

"Is that them?" Italy pointed. Elizaveta nodded. "Ve~! They're so pretty!"

"What are they practicing for?" asked Japan, still walking alongside their guide.

"For the Founder's Celebration," smiled the mouse, "This year we've decided to add a Dance of Lights to the performance. It's going to be wonderful! And Roderich has been making sure everyone's rehearsals have been going smoothly. This year will surely be our best celebration yet." She had a dreamy look on her face, picturing this year's party.

"I apologize for asking, but what's a Founder's Celebration?" Elizaveta blinked out of her daydream, a quizzical look on her face as she studied at Japan.

"Your…your house doesn't hold a Founder's Celebration?"

"I'm afraid not," Japan answered, cringing just a bit for sounding ignorant. Why was this completely new to him? He never programmed such an event in the game. Thinking back, a lot of things were inconsistent with what he should know. Pokélites in general was a concept no one from the development team talked about. The buildings in this world shouldn't be this intricately complex. Evolution shouldn't have been introduced so early. And references to the other region, Diasama, shouldn't have been brought up at all in this version of the game. Was Germany perhaps right? Had they in fact been transferred to a Pokémon world—a real one? No, that couldn't be; it was impossible. And yet…

Elizaveta patted Japan's shoulder reassuringly. "I understand, dear. I guess not all Pokélites are able to identify who their founder is. A Founder's Celebration is held in honor of a house's Founder. We're extremely fortunate to have two Founders: Suicune and Regice. I know, you'd never expect the two of them would have any sort of relationship. But they fell in love during the Battle of the Sealing. After the Battle, they adopted some of the displaced pokémon in the nearby region and started our family."

"I suppose you are fortunate to have such kind Founders," the Absol said, hoping that was the appropriate response.

"Indeed! Oh, I simply can't wait for the Founder's Celebration. It's the one time of year that the three of—aah!"

The hallway suddenly exploded with light, blinding everyone for less than a second. It disappeared just as quickly, and Japan stumbled once it was gone. Even after blinking and shaking his head, nearly his entire vision was splotched with dark spots. Startled as he was, he patiently waited for his sight to clear up; after a while, it eventually did. "Wh…what was that? Italy?" The Eevee was still staring at the window, but he didn't appear to be looking at what was on the other side. He shook his head.

"Yes Japan?"

Elizaveta looked worried. "This isn't good. The Volbeat and Illumise were practicing a technique that mixed Flash and Confuse Ray." She bounded over to the little fox.

"Italy? Are you okay?"

"Si!" he grinned, though Japan noticed his eyes weren't focused. "Cool! Everything's all sparkly and swirly!"

"Italy, dear, why don't you rest for a bit? I don't think staring directly into the light was any good for you."

"But I feel fine."

"I don't think you are. Mr. Japan, could you please lead your friend back to your room? I need to inform Roderich what just happened."

"Of course," Japan bowed, and Elizaveta ran off. "This way Italy."

"Coming!" Italy turned to run after Japan—and promptly ran straight into the wall instead. "Ugf!"

Japan leaped over to his friend and, with a little difficulty, helped him onto his back. "Hang on." The poor Eevee didn't seem to have full control over his body as his frame shook and his paws spasmed, sometimes with the claws exposed, hurting Japan.

"I'm sorry, Japan." He apologized, ears laid flat.

"No, it's not your fault. I think you're just confused."

"What?"

"Nevermind." Japan briefly wondered what Germany was doing right now as he carried Italy back to their room.

* * *

Germany, meanwhile, was searching for the loud Mightyena. He needed to ask him something before they continued on their journey. He would have preferred asking someone else, but as the only other person he knew was Lars, who didn't look all too pleased to let them on the property to begin with, Germany didn't know who else to ask.

Taking some directions from a passing servant, he soon found himself outside again, near the back of the estate. There was a small group of pokémon—probably the guards—sitting and lying around at where the wall surrounding the estate formed a corner. Most of them were talking and laughing with each other. Germany very quickly spotted Lars who was smoking a pipe and soon Gilbert lying next to him. He walked over to the group.

"…nd of course, the awesome me takes it like a boss. So then I trick him to stand on his—ah! Speak of the Darkrai. Hey, West! Over here!"

"Please don't call me that," grumbled the Houndoom, a small wave of mixed emotions rising because of the innocuous calling. Surely Gilbert didn't know what it meant.

"Why not? I like it. Get this, fellas: this guy thought he could reach Kaos Island by heading west. Funny, ja?" Laughter erupted from the group.

"I already told you, we came this way to look for allies, not to get to the island," Germany huffed.

"I know; I'm joking. But seriously, I think West is an awesome name for you. That's how I'm gonna remember ya' after you leave: the pokémon who travelled west to head east." Germany groaned. Clearly, he wouldn't be able to change Gilbert's mind. "So what's up?"

He hesitated, remembering why he came. "I wanted to ask you if you could train me before we go." The group went silent.

"Training?" Gilbert raised a brow. "Didn't you say you no longer fight? Besides, you weren't all that unawesome during our battle– why do you need my training?"

"It's a little complicated to explain right now," answered Germany, "But as you know Italy, Japan, and I will be heading to Kaos Island. Japan says the…that there will be a very powerful opponent waiting for us. We aren't strong as we are now. That's why we came this way first– to find someone who could train us and perhaps guide us."

The other soldiers shifted their glance between Germany and their boss, wondering what would happen next. Gilbert looked thoughtful for a minute or two before smirking. "Ja. I'll train you, but only if I get to come with you."

"What? But aren't you a sentr—I mean, General? You cannot simply leave your duties just like that."

"Lars will take my job until I get back," Gilbert answered without missing a beat. The Tyranitar shrugged, as if already used to his superior's whimsical antics. "Besides, you just said you needed a guide, didn't you?"

"But…what about Roderich?"

"What about him?"

"He won't just let you go like that without permission, which he most likely won't give with you on probation."

"Well, what he doesn't know can't hurt him." Germany was beginning to wonder how in the world this guy ever became a General. "For now, why don't you join us, West? Bella will be coming out soon with some refreshments."

"I hope she brings some of that chocolate," one of the sentries grinned, nudging a fellow. Lars immediately glared at him.

"Bella?"

"Lars's sister," Gilbert smirked at the German, "She's one of the maids. A lot of males have the hots for her if you know what I mean. I wouldn't bother with her, though; Lars'll beat up anyone who so much as looks at her strangely. I remember this one time when my friend Antonio was casually speaking to her, and Lars ran him straight off the estate."

"Why? Antonio doesn't seem like a bad guy," said Germany.

"Oh, you know Toni?"

"The Tauros who lives at the estate some ways down? Ja, we met him and Lovino. But why did Lars chase him away?"

"Who knows. We think he's overprotective of his little sister. Maybe he just hates the guy. But either way it was hilarious! I didn't know Toni could run so fast. I doubt he knew he could run so fast, kesese. You know we rarely get to see each other anymore thanks to Lars. I wonder how he's doing." Right at that moment, the group heard a light hum floating through the air. "Here she comes now."

Germany glanced at Bella, paused, and then had to do a double-take. She looked nothing like her brother. Whereas Lars was a large, menacing, bipedal lizard of sorts, Bella more greatly resembled an elegant sauropod. Two thin yellow streamers curved over her head, and around her neck was an oversized flower dyed a vibrant magenta pink and rimmed with white. She was almost as large as her brother, but somehow she walked with a grace unexpected of someone her size. Two thin vines snaked out from around the flower, carrying a tray filled with small brown blocks.

"Brother~!" she sang merrily as she approached. "I made some chocolate! Would you like some?" Lars took the pipe out of his mouth and released a stream of smoke.

"I'd like some. Thanks, Bella." She carefully lowered the tray and glanced at Germany.

"I've never seen you before, sir. Are you a friend of big brother?"

"No." Lars was very quick to respond to that. "Gilbert invited him and the others. We don't know how long they're staying." Bella smiled quite cutely.

"Would you care for some chocolate, sir? I made plenty for everyone."

It would be rude to reject the offer. "Thank you." Grabbing without thumbs was still difficult, so Germany had already become accustomed to using his claws to skewer items and pick them up that way. He took a piece of chocolate and put it in his mouth. It was smooth and sweet, no different from handmade human chocolate. "This is very good! How did you make this?" By his standards, it should have been impossible to produce in this world. Bella giggled.

"It's a secret. Let's just say I don't make it often because it's a lot of work. I'm happy to hear someone outside the estate likes my cooking." Germany sensed that Lars had his eye on him. Very soon the other guards grabbed some food, savoring the delicious sweets. As everyone returned to their previous conversations and the siblings struck up their own, Gilbert sidled up to Germany.

"After lunch, I'll take you to the training grounds," he said. "You can show me what you got there." Germany rolled his eyes. "What? Oh, is this about me still being on sentry duty? Oi!" He addressed his soldiers as a whole. "You know the drill. If Roderich comes, cover for me."

Germany nearly choked on his food. It wasn't his place to be telling Gilbert what to do, but the latter certainly had no problem completely disregarding his job. "How…?"

"Roderich keeps forgetting that demoting me means nothing," the Mightyena laughed. "I've been their boss for so long, I could be reduced to sentry duty for life and these guys would still take orders from me. No one is as awesome a General as I am."

"If you say so," Germany decided to humor the other. When Gilbert wasn't looking, Germany made sure to put some distance between the two of them.

* * *

About half an hour later, Germany was gazing around the battle grounds in slight awe. They were underground, the entrance to the arena being what looked like the entrance to a crawlspace on the side of the mansion. Germany had been surprised to see a flight of stone steps lead deeper under the earth, the walls periodically lined with glowing white crystals jutting out from the side. Here at the bottom, with everything lit by the numerous torches along the walls, two large fields made up the large chamber. Scattered against the walls were large and sagging bags filled with sand, polished stones of various shapes and sizes, and even primitive spears. Germany was vaguely reminded of a gladiator arena.

"Okay, first things first." Gilbert was getting straight to business it seemed. He pointed a paw to a target that was painted onto the stone wall several yards ahead of them. "Show me your best Flamethrower."

Germany shook his head. "I can't. I don't know what that is." He frowned as Gilbert's jaw hung open in pure disbelief.

"You don't kno—how do you not know what a Flamethrower is!? You're a freakin' Houndoom! It's your species' signature!" Germany had no way of countering that, though that didn't stop him from becoming defensive.

"It's not like I told you I knew how to use Flamethrower. And besides, I thought you were training me to fight."

"You didn't tell me I'd be training a moron!" Gilbert retaliated with incredulity. The German growled, now incensed. Fortunately, Gilbert seemed to sense that he took it a little too far. He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for that. But really– how can you not know what a Flamethrower is? That's like Roderich having a sense of direction. Or me being unawesome. It's just not right." He looked the Houndoom square in the eyes. "Tell me what's going on."

Now it was Germany's turn to sigh. "Don't laugh. This will sound crazy, but you have to believe me. Italy, Japan, and I aren't really pokémon. We're humans, and we come from another world. We were told we had to find a Pearl of Space and place it on an alter, but Japan says the alter is guarded by a powerful opponent. That's why we need training. We know virtually nothing of this place but we wish to survive in it long enough so we can return home." When Germany finished, Gilbert's eyes were wide. Germany could tell he was struggling not to laugh.

"So let me get this straight: you and your friends have no idea what it's like to be pokémon, and you want to go running off and battle Palkia– a pokémon that has been sealed away for all eternity?"

Germany blinked. "Who's Palkia?"

"Great Alpha above, this guy doesn't even know who Palkia is." A chuckle did escape him. "So I have to train some guy who knows jack squat; train him to take done one of the strongest pokémon who ever lived so he and his friends can return to some alternate universe or something." The smile turned into a feral grin. "This sounds awesome. And since I'm coming along, you know that it will be. Things have been getting boring for me lately; this'll definitely liven things up." With renewed energy, he faced the wall and tensed his muscles. "Pay attention now." He inhaled deeply then exhaled toward the target. A thin stream of fire spiraled out, and it just barely scorched the center ring. Germany gaped at him.

"You just breathed fire! How did you do that? Was that Flamethrower?"

That cocky grin return. "No, it was Incinerate. It's like a much weaker version of the move."

"Why didn't you just show me the move then?"

"Because my kind can't learn it. I know; that's lame. Lars used Flamethrower on your friends earlier while you were knocked out by the way. If he were here, he'd show you how to do it." He stepped out of the way. "What you need to do is concentrate. That's the first thing every pokémon has to do if they want to use an attack of any kind. Think about the attack. Imagine using it on the opponent. If you do everything right, you'll feel a force of energy pool in your gut. Manipulate this energy into your attack."

Germany nodded and then, taking steady breaths, closed his eyes. _Concentrate._ He had to focus his mind. He let his mind take over, imagining the target to be an approaching nondescript enemy. He kept telling himself the enemy was in front of him, the target was his opponent. Ever so slowly what felt like adrenaline flowed through his veins, first creeping along like molten steel then spreading like wildfire until every nerve around his abdomen was tingling. So this must be the energy Gilbert mentioned. How was one supposed to manipulate it?

With nothing more to work on, Germany mimicked the Mightyena's actions, taking in a deep breath and exhaling forcefully. No flames, not even a trickle, came forth. He blinked his eyes open. "What happened?"

"Aren't I supposed to be asking you that?" uttered the trainer. He cocked his head slightly to the side, thinking. "Did you concentrate?"

"Yes."

"And you felt the energy pool?"

"Ja, I could feel it. It was like something was stimulating my nerves, wanting to be used. But how do I manipulate it like you said? I kept think 'become fire,' but—"

"Oh, right; I can't believe I forgot that." Gilbert smacked himself on the forehead. "You're a Houndoom, so you have to do it differently. See, pokémon are capable of learning a variety of moves either naturally or through intense training. Moves learned naturally are learned by everyone in the entire species and don't take much effort to pull off. Unnatural moves require the attacker to have total concentration to work. For me, Incinerate is an unnatural move, so I put all my thought into the attack whenever I use it. But Iron Tail, the move I knocked you out with, is a bit more natural. For that, I have to connect the energy to an instinct or emotion rather than concentrated thought. Since you're a Houndoom, and breathing fire should come naturally to you, try connecting the energy to your instincts."

"And how do I do that?" Germany asked.

"Easy…well, no, not entirely. The easy part is letting your instincts take over. The tricky part is finding the right desire or emotion that lets you do that. Only a specific desire will work. I know when I use Iron Tail, I can only pull it off when I desire to see be the strongest. Not all pokémon use the same desire though, so yours will probably be different."

"Ok, so I need to focus on a desire rather than the attack itself," Germany clarified. When Gilbert gave a nod of approval, he closed his eyes once again and concentrated on summoning the energy. So what was his desire to release the energy? Perhaps he should try Gilbert's desire just to test it out. Evoking that emotion, he breathed out with all his might, but still no results.

"Try again. It has to be a desire in sync with your nature. What is something you like or constantly do already?"

Starting over, the German had to deeply reflect on his persona. As much as he'd hate to admit it, if he were hurt, his first desire would be for the other guy to feel his retribution. Perhaps the desire to cause pain was the key? Using this emotion, he tried again. This time a few embers sprang forth from his muzzle. Germany was so surprised he snapped his mouth shut. "Erm…did I do it?"

"Sort of. That was Ember, which is a much weaker form of Flamethrower." The Mightyena brushed against his shoulder encouragingly. "But you're getting there. Whatever desire you used must be similar to the right one. Keep going."

_So something similar to causing pain,_ Germany reviewed as he gathered the energy again. Causing pain…causing pain…then perhaps revenge? No, it wasn't that. In fact, this time, nothing at all came out. Okay, then how about anger? He was always angry, right? Nope, just some more weak Embers. Germany was becoming a bit dejected. He wasn't a very emotional guy, so there weren't many more desires he could go through.

"Don't give up," his trainer encouraged, "Just keep trying. Perhaps what you're looking for is already a powerful desire. Can you think of something like that?"

_I'll try,_ thought the Houndoom. For what was beginning to feel like the hundredth time, he concentrated. And he thought hard on what could be his instinctual drive. And he couldn't think of anything. He couldn't find that drive. Germany huffed internally. Perhaps it would be best if they stopped for now. It wasn't like he was going to figure it out so quickly anyway. He wasn't a real Houndoom, so he shouldn't know how to use any moves—naturally or unnaturally—in the first place. It was highly likely he'd never figure his drive at all. He, Japan, and Italy would just have to find another way of defeating the final boss since learning moves was proving too difficult. Amazing to believe they were turned into creatures capable of performing extraordinary abilities and they were too weak to pull them…

…did he just call himself weak?

He was stricken by the sudden thought. How could he ever let himself become that? No– he was strong. He hated being weak but not because he was strong. He hated it because he despised the feeling of losing what he had. The strong could protect what it owned. The strong didn't surrender. The strong could fight. The weak couldn't. It had to be protected or it would lose everything it owned.

A new energy flowed through Germany, almost burning his veins. This thought was becoming sharper in his mind, overriding all other reasoning. He was strong, so he could fight and protect. He could protect Japan and Italy who still did not know any moves. Especially Italy. The boy couldn't fight to save himself in their own world. So in this one where they were soon to be forced to battle against a feared monster? Germany had to be strong to protect them. Germany had to be strong to protect Italy.

"You okay?" Gilbert sensed a change in energy flow from the German. The latter nodded curtly, a stiff movement clearly suggesting he was struggling with something internally. "If you think you got this, aim for the target. Try to imagine it as the enemy," Gilbert instructed.

_The enemy. That's right._ The words echoed in Germany's mind. He was on fire now. His ears were ringing. He glared at the target, the enemy. He had to master this now so he could protect those he cared about. He took in a great breath.

"HRRAAAOO!"

A thick, blazing pillar of fire scorched the air, engulfing the target completely and lighting the chamber. Gilbert actually stepped back from the intense heat and wild sparks. The flames were ferocious, eating away at the wall like a mindless animal.

When Germany finally let up, the entire target was charred. The paint had completely blackened. "Dang, West!" Gilbert whooped, "Not even Lars can use a Flamethrower that strong. That was awe—West?" The Houndoom was glaring back at him, blue eyes narrowed in cold, concentrated fury. "West?"

But Germany couldn't hear. Only one thing roared in his mind: _Protect._ The compulsion was too strong to refute. He had to protect his friends from the enemy.

And this enemy could move.

He took a threatening step toward Gilbert. "West! Snap out of it! You're letting your instincts take over too much!" Another step. "Listen to me! Stop this right now!"

"HRRAAAOO!" Germany unleashed another powerful Flamethrower, barely missing Gilbert as he rolled to the side at the last minute and was forced to leap away. Germany honed in on every one of Gilbert's movements before aiming searing-hot spouts of fire at his 'enemy.'

"I can't believe this," muttered the Mightyena as he continued to duck and dodge the numerous fire attacks. Germany released another Flamethrower, but the Mightyena twirled to evade with ease. Irate now, Gilbert inhaled deeply, taking in as much air his lungs would allow. "ENOUGH!" he roared so loudly that the air shook and Germany flinched. Gilbert couldn't tell if he snapped Germany out of it or not, but at least the latter stopped attacking for the moment.

"…Must…protect…" He looked up in surprise. Though snarling, Germany seemed to once again be struggling with himself. "Not…weak…"

"You're not weak, West, you just need to snap out of it. Look at me; do I look like a bad guy?"

The German stared at him, an odd expression on his face. "Pru…Gilbert!" His consciousness finally regained control. He looked around the arena, now noticing the burned equipment and blackened walls. "Gilbert, I…I sincerely apologize. I didn't know I was…" Germany fell to the ground, sinking into a submissive bow. Whether he was fully aware of doing the action was uncertain, but it was clear he truly regretted attacking Gilbert. The Mightyena exhaled.

"It's no big deal. It's my fault, really. I told you to let your instincts take over. I forgot fully grown pokémon are used to keeping those in check." He laughed again. "Kesesesese. It's funny– young pokémon let their instincts run wild all the time but can still keep a sound mind. But you let a grown pokémon lose all control of his instincts and you get this." The humor did not lift Germany's mood in the slightest.

"Germany?" Both canines looked over to the stairs, startled. A voice called from above, and soon Japan and Italy were seen climbing down.

"Germany? Gilbert? Ah, there you two are. We were wondering where you were," Japan said. "A guard told us we might find you here."

"Ve~! This looks like a training arena," beamed Italy, gazing around before looking at Germany. "I bet you love it down here, huh, Germany?"

"Yeah, we're having a blast, right, West?" grinned Gilbert before a still upset Germany could respond.

"J…ja."

"Hey. Guess what? West here finally got the hang of Flamethrower. Awesome, huh?"

"That's indeed amazing," smiled a slightly surprised Japan, "So that's why you were down here– training Germany. If it's not too much trouble, may I ask that you train me as well?" Gilbert grinned.

"Sure no problem. Oh, West?" he said, looking back at the Houndoom, "Why don't you sit this one out and clear your head a bit. That was pretty rough for you, and you need time to recover. And when you're done, go find Lars. I want him to help with our training from now on."

"Ja. And Gilbert, I really am—"

"I told you, you don't need to apologize," Gilbert interrupted, his tone serious. "I'm still alive and that's what's important. Now go rest. We'll practice again later."

Germany gave a small, sad smile to the other dog. "Thank you."

* * *

"Spotlight: Moves" - So this time the spotlight will focus on a concept rather than a character (so this will be rather lengthy). Moves in the Pokémon World are a little bit more complicated to pull off than in the Mystery Dungeon series. In the games, players who are Pikachu (for example) can use Thundershock without any prior knowledge or seeing it beforehand, and the NPCs expect them to know it right off the bat. In this world it's more of a doctrine that moves be taught first, preferably by another pokémon. It's the role of the parent/guardian/teacher to teach the young one to control their powers. But there are instances where pokémon pull off moves without any control or by accident, such as the case with Russia. It is understandable for younger pokémon to do this frequently, but older pokémon who do this are often regarded as incompetent for being unable to control their own strength and/or unreliable in battle.

Since I'm not sure how well it was explained in the story, I'll clarify here. Moves are divided into two categories: attacks that are natural to use (natural) and attacks that require intensive practice and concentration to work (unnatural). These are not the same as physical/special attacks nor are moves that are the same type as the attacker necessarily more natural to pull off. The ability to use moves depends entirely on the physiology and mentality of the pokémon using it. Many pokémon with obvious natural weapons (claws, fangs, etc.) may have a harder time using attacks that don't require these. Using Gilbert as an example, Incinerate is an unnatural move to him because it's a ranged attack, and he would prefer assaulting the foe through physical means. Iron Tail, which requires hitting the foe with his tail, is much more natural.

Natural moves require little concentration to use as they are essentially second-nature. But if they required as much thought as it takes to breathe, pokémon would be using natural moves all day with little control. Rather than act as a biological function, the use of a natural move requires a small extra step, and that is to link the willpower to use the move with a specific desire or emotion. No two pokémon using the same move will always require the same emotion. And the drives or emotions don't have to be complex; they could range from something as vague as "happy" to something more specific like "defend the 3-week pups from intruders." It's rare but there are times when the emotion overrides the reasoning. The belief is that the instincts were not counterbalanced with the logical mind, and the attacker may continue to use the move indiscriminately. But as these are rare and quick episodes, not too much concern is given over them unless they happen periodically.

Unnatural moves require the lucid thought of using that particular attack. The attacker must visualize using the move, so intense concentration is needed. Because of the extra amount of energy to use, only performing or battling pokémon learn unnatural moves, and even then it's generally no more than one or two. Several advantages of using these moves though are that, once mastered, it's extremely difficult to lose control over them, and the user has a wider selection of moves to perform.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

"Tell me, Toris, is this right?" Russia was literally flying circles around the green dragon.

"Y-yeah, that's right," muttered Toris, his mind evidently on other things. Russia smiled before climbing a little higher into the air. As much as Toris didn't want to admit it, he was impressed by how quickly the large Dragonite picked up flying. He was almost a natural, needing only a little bit of instruction.

Russia chuckled. "Huhuhu! This is much better than falling out of a plane."

"A what?"

"A flying machine back in my world. You wouldn't need one, I suppose." Russia returned his attention back to the surroundings he was supposed to be watching. "So, you and your family do this every day?"

"Patrolling? Yes, we do. Two hour shifts each. Eduard patrols the ground while the rest of us do the sky patrol. Once Raivis is of age, he'll join us as well."

Russia smiled, his gaze distant. "Hmm…it must be nice for all of you to be living like this."

"Believe me, life here is very harsh. I don't know what it's like in the other world, but here sometimes one gets weary of the permafrost. Once true winter hits, we'll be competing with the Beartic for prey. And hunts aren't always successful when half the family is technically weak to the ice."

"But at least you have each other." The Flygon looked curiously at his patrol partner. "I know what it's like living in the tundra, so to me, this is nothing new. But your family, it's really close, da? My friends and I, we aren't as close. I wonder why." He grinned at Toris. "I'd like to be making your family one with me, da?"

Toris stiffened as Russia flew on ahead, completely oblivious. When the dragon recovered and caught up with Russia, he asked a little tentatively, "S-say, Mr. Russia, can I ask you something? Do you by any chance…h-have any interest in Lady Natalya?" For a split second, perplexity crossed Russia's face as he frowned. "Is that what you meant by making one with the family?"

"And why should I tell you?" The smile was so genuine and the voice so innocent on the surface that Toris just knew the Dragonite was blatantly mocking him. He silently berated himself as the two glided along the perimeter of the territory. After several minutes without speaking a word, Russia finally admitted, "I'm not sure if I like Natalya. She is very nice, yes, but I have no interest in her." He could have sworn he heard the other let out a tiny sigh. "But why did you assume I had feelings for her? Why didn't you ask about your older sister?"

"N-no reason! No reason at all! I should have clarified and said _either_ Lady Natalya _or_ Lady Katyusha! Yeah, ha ha!" Russia didn't press any further as he and Toris continued their watch, but he couldn't help but notice the faint smile the Flygon was now sporting.

Meanwhile, in the barren forest near the northwestern edge, Natalya and France were collecting the firewood…or rather, France was attempting to collect. He saw how Natalya wrapped part of her tail around several of the sliced logs and carry them to the small pile behind them, but whenever he tried to do the same he found himself unable to move. Natalya kept throwing the Serperior dirty looks but soon she was by his side, telling him how to only use the lower portion of the tail to grab and not the section used primarily for slithering. France had to give her credit– she was being surprisingly patient with him.

"So it is like this, non?" He curled the end of his tail around the logs, picked them up, and, at last, slithered over to the pile where he dropped them. Slither. What a strange way to move, and France doubted he'd ever get used to the feeling. He wasn't crawling on his stomach nor dragging himself in the snow; if he had a way to put it, the closest feeling would be like swimming but without kicking or using his arms…no, there was nothing to compare slithering to; it was just that weird. Manageable, but weird.

Natalya nodded curtly. "Yes, you got it down now. Now you can be carrying those logs over there." She indicated the cut logs she made earlier. France sighed, already getting tired of the labor. Did she and her family do this every day? He asked her such.

"Niama. Only once a week; three times when winter hits." France began to wonder what season they called this one if it wasn't winter.

"Mon Dieu, I can never see myself doing this on a weekly basis."

"You do what you can to survive."

"But in all this snow? How can you stand it? Sometimes I wonder how Canada and Russia manage it." They worked in silence a bit more, France occasionally muttering under his breath about the cold.

"Vy, France, you're friends with those two, yes?"

"Well, 'friends' may be stretching it a bit for Russia," admitted the Serperior.

"What kind of pokémon is he?" France must have been stumped by the question because after Natalya looked at him she added, "You know what I mean: what is his character? What do you know about him?"

In one of his rare moments, France became thoughtful. "Well, I can't honestly say he's a _bad _person. He did help us in the war. But his methods of reasoning are questionable at best– I mean, come now, when does a water pipe solve anything?" He paused. "Related to his actual character, I see him as just a child. Granted, I see half of the Allies as such, but Russia in particular seems to have the most misfortune out of all of us. I guess he could have turned out worse though; he had some very cruel bosses when he was younger." Natalya looked up in concern.

"His masters were cruel to him?"

"Only a few. And living isolated in the tundra didn't help too much with his mentality either. But he does have his soft side. I'm told he treats his family relatively well, and on most days he can get along with nearly everyone I know, so I know he has some kindness. And he's always smiling." France smiled. "Oui, a child is how I'd best describe him—a loveably, demented child." Natalya nodded, returning her gaze to her work. "Why do you ask?"

"It is none of your concern," the other growled in defense. A pause and then a light laugh. The Dragonair whirled on France. "What's being so hilarious?"

"You have feelings for Russia, do you not?" The Serperior could just make out a faint blush spreading beneath the blue scales.

"You jest! You're making unreasonable accusations!"

"Ah, but you are speaking with the person who holds the City of Love, not to mention does the practice whenever possible. I've come to recognize l'amour when I see it." He watched in bemusement as Natalya feverishly shifted her gaze back and forth between France and the snow, clearly flustered.

Finally, in a somewhat subdued tone, she said, "Do you think Russia might have any feelings for me?"

"And what part of you do you want him to like?" replied France, smirking just slightly.

"All of me. He…he doesn't seem like an all too bad dragon. He is kind; he protected your flying friend before when we met. And I can tell that he is strong. And on top of that, he is a Dragonite. He and I are of the same lineage; we could…get married if we wanted to…expand the family."

France shook his head, and though he was smiling, it wasn't one of pleasantness. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you and Russia will never get married." As expected, Natalya's anger came full force.

"What do you mean by that? I am sure Russia would be noticing how kind my family is being to you all. And you have said earlier that he is used to this climate. Living here will be nothing new for him. We would all take good care of him; he would be the new head of the family. The Drakon family could continue. Surely he would not object to our generosity, our kindness, and–"

But France continued to slowly shake his head. "No, I am sure, even on a normal basis, he would have to turn you down. You have to understand: Russia can't just settle down. He has a commitment to not just his boss but also his people. They need him in order to persevere, and he needs them in order to exist. He is bound to his homeland, just as Canada and I are bound to ours. But there is a greater reason he won't marry you."

"Why is that? If he lives with us, we will become his people, and he can continue to exist. His masters can go find someone else. Or are you saying there is someone else that he loves?" Natalya spat. The French snake said nothing, and she slammed her tail against the snow in anger. "There is, isn't there? Tell me who she is! I swear, I'll find her and I will tell her she can't have her way with my Russia. So tell me– who is it I remind him of?"

"His sister."

Natalya stopped in her frenzy. "His…sister?"

"Oui, and in our world, incest is a practice highly frowned upon in most societies. Not to mention his relationship with his sister is awkwardly complex. So marrying you would only bring back that same awkwardness in a new form. But I am sure he wouldn't have any problems wanting to be friends with you if you, well, only keep it on that level."

Natalya remained quiet, mulling over what she just heard. The dragoness frowned slightly, muttering mostly to herself, "No, I'm sure Russia wants to stay…I'll make him want to stay here with…"

The Serperior sighed, deciding to simply get back to the work they were to be doing than try to convince her otherwise. He figured once she got her attention back on the task she could get all the branches in this area, so he went further into the forest. The trees' branches were much thicker, and France had no clue how he'd be able to cut them. His best option would be to search for any fallen branches in the snow.

A child's laughter made him look around in surprise. Moving around a bare bush, he soon came upon a tiny blue and white bear cub building a small mound in the snow. The creature turned its head around and upon seeing France its eyes doubled in size in playful excitement. "Haaa! Hi! Hi!" It was smiling happily up at France.

"Bonjour mon petit ami." France went over to the adorable tiny bear. The creature turned all the way around.

"Hahah! Cub!" it giggled, raising up its paws as if wanting to be picked up. France complied, wrapping the end of his tail around the creature and lifting it up. The cub began giggling in joy, its laughter ringing full of innocence. It didn't at all seem to care whether France was a potential predator or not.

"My, you're a cute little bear. I'm sure Canada would think so too."

"Cub! Cub…cub-choo!" The bear sneezed, and a huge wad of sticky mucus dribbled out and hung from its nose. The bear didn't seem to care as it continued laughing. France, on the other hand, hurriedly but delicately set the cub back down.

"Charming," he muttered in a voice clearly indicating otherwise. The young bear didn't pay any mind as it waddled back to its small pile of snow.

"Mister, mister!" the cub looked back up at France, "You aren't from around here, are you, mister?" France was admittedly startled to hear the cub speaking more coherently, albeit childishly, but he quickly recovered and answered his question.

"No, I am not."

"Oh. Okay. So you're playing the game too, right?"

France raised a brow in confusion. "Game? What game, mon ami?"

"The game with mama and the others," answered the cub, a curious smile growing. "The others say the Master wants you dead. They say he wants all the intruders dead. So mama says if she gets you she's gonna kill ya!" Now he tilted his head to the side. "I don't know what that means though, and no one will tell me, so I can't play. Do you know what it means, mister?"

But France had stopped listening. His brain was whirling. Someone was out to kill him—all of them? Who was this Master to order an entire sleuth of bears to murder them? Why did he want them dead to begin with? Were Natalya and her family aware of this? Were they perhaps in on this? Could they still escape?

"…Hello? Mister?" The cub brought back the Frenchman's attention. "Are you okay?"

"O-oui, it's just—" how to put it so the bear won't go running off crying to his parent, "—it's just that if your mama or someone catches me, they'll hurt me. Really badly."

"So you don't wanna' get caught?" asked the cub, tilting his head again, "It's like hide-and-go-seek?"

"Yes, exactly! Hide-and-go-seek! So the others can't find me or my friends or…or we'll lose. And you don't want us to lose, non?"

"But I don't want mama to lose," the bear frowned. France had to think quickly.

"Sh-she won't lose! Oh, no– she's the seeker. The seeker can't lose, only the person being sought. And if she can't find me, then no one loses, and everybody's happy."

"Really?" the little bear looked up with dazzled eyes, "I never knew that!"

"Oui, and that's why it's important that she and the others don't find me and my friends; otherwise, we can't all win."

"Okay, I won't tell her where you are." Then the little cub shouted over his shoulder. "HEY MAMA! THE STRANGE POKÉMON YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SAID HE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO FIND HIM OR YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO WIN! SO I PROMISED I WOULDN'T SAY WHERE HE IS! NOW YOU'LL BOTH WIN!" He looked up at France with such a proud smile on his face as if he was truly helping everyone out. France was wide-eyed, literally stunned speechless. He wasn't able to get his body moving until he heard the faint sound of something crashing from deep within the woods. He retreated back the way he came, stumbling frequently as he tried to make it back to Natalya.

"Aidez-moi!" he shouted, hoping Natalya was close enough to hear. A frighteningly loud crunch made him flinch and turn around.

A large polar bear with paws the size of dinner plates and thick icicles hanging from her lower jaw barreled toward the Frenchman. She roared, her eyes trained only on the snake before her, oblivious to all the low branches and trees surrounding her. As luck had it, France was cornered against a tree as the beast charged closer.

_Mon Dieu! I don't want to die like this!_ France panicked. He could practically see parts of his life flash before his eyes.

"_He was first blowing on his hands when sparks came out. We tried testing it after scraping up some pieces of wood, and that's how we got the fire going."_

For some reason, Canada's voice stuck out in his head. He truly was hopeless if he was going to go out with Canada's voice—wait! Canada explained how Russia could breathe fire. Granted, Russia was obviously a dragon, but France couldn't entirely be all snake. He had hands. Sort of. Perhaps…

It was a long shot, but he had nothing to lose, so France figured he'd try and do what Russia did. He began blowing air at the beast. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened. Again he tried blowing, but his heart began to sink more and more as nothing continued to happen and the bear only kept getting closer. At last, the mother bear was upon him, and despite her intense fury, she couldn't help but slightly cock her head in confusion at the sight of the Serperior's antics. When she realized whatever attack her prey was trying to pull off was of no use, she reared on her hind legs and brought back her mighty paw to deliver the killing blow.

"No! WAIT!" yelled France, and a green orb of energy shot from his mouth and struck the bear directly in the face, exploding upon contact. The bear wheeled back in surprise and pain. France, momentarily stunned he pulled off an attack, regained his senses and fled all the way back to where he left Natalya. The Dragonair looked up in confusion when she saw the Serperior tumble out of the woods panting heavily.

"What's wrong with—?" That's when the mother bear crashed through the trees, bellowing with all her might. Natalya reacted in an instant. "Get down!" France obediently ducked as the mother reared on her legs again. The Dragonair flapped her wings only once and was in the air. She rammed into the bear with her horn, knocking the air out of her opponent. Natalya took the chance to glance back at the Serperior. "What did you do to upset the Beartic?"

"Me? I did nothing!" cried France, "I found a cub and he told me his mama wanted me dead! He said something about…"

"About what?" Natalya had to return her glare back toward her opponent who had gotten back up. The Beartic roared again. Then she inhaled deeply and breathed out a light blue cloud of ice at Natalya. Another flap and the Dragonair easily dodged the Icy Wind attack. Now it was Natalya's turn to attack, and she released a scorching Flamethrower at her opponent. The mother Beartic countered with an Ice Beam. The two attacks collided in midair, and almost instantly the area was shrouded in steam and mist.

Both battlers were blind due to the steam, but France, who was off to the side, could just make out both of their shadows. "She's right in front of you!" he warned Natalya, who then evaded the Ice Beam that was just launched. Gaining altitude once again, Natalya escaped up into the air, expanded her wings, and flapped the steam away. The Beartic had to look away due to the gust Natalya was whipping up, but France could see that what hadn't evaporated from Natalya's previous attack had turned to water. The Dragonair landed in the liquid, not at all perturbed by its slipperiness.

The beast snarled at her opponent before suddenly turning directly towards France, remembering he was her true target, not the Dragonair. She ran toward France again, the latter not at all prepared for the sudden assault. Natalya noticed her opponent's change in target in the nick of time. The orbs at the end of her tail glowed bright blue, and the water surrounding her began to spiral along and down her tail. She raced at the bear before the Beartic could reach her victim, and she slammed her tail against the bear's side. To France, the attack didn't look like much, but judging by how the Beartic rolled away upon impact and was now clutching her side, it must have done some serious damage.

In pure retaliation, the bear shot out another unsuspecting Ice Beam; this time it nipped Natalya's left wing. The Dragonair hissed in pain and came crashing to the ground, unable to fly. Part of her wing was frozen solid. The Beartic towered over her fallen opponent. Natalya continued to glare, but the Beartic knew she was helpless.

A flash of bright green energy, a small explosion, and the Beartic was clutching her face again in pain. Natalya slipped out of the bear's range of fire and looked back at France in surprise. The Serperior was huffing, his attack clearly more than he could handle. "You know Energy Ball?"

"Is that what it's called?" Natalya nodded for an answer.

Now the Beartic was beyond enraged. It took in a huge breath as her body began to glow bright blue. "What's happening?" asked France. But Natalya uttered something incoherent. "Pardon?"

"Sheer Cold!" she yelled. She flew toward France. "If it hits, we're dead."

"I hope you mean that figuratively!" cried the Serperior, but the expression from the Dragonair showed that she wasn't joking.

"When she fires, launch the strongest Energy Ball you can muster."

"I-I-I'll try," he gulped, "But just to let you know, it's not like I've got it down or anything."

The Beartic expelled a huge beam of sub-zero energy from her mouth. "GO!" Natalya and France each launched their strongest attack—Hyper Beam and Energy Ball, respectfully. The three attacks met in the center, but even the powerful Hyper Beam coupled with the Energy Ball couldn't push the ultimate ice attack back. Natalya kept going, but she was quickly weakening.

"Hang in there," France encouraged her, praying for some sort of miracle to happen.

His prayer was answered. What looked like a flaming star came from the sky, meeting the Sheer Cold energy. The three attacks were enough to cause an explosion. The serpents ducked as the whiplash from the attacks tore through the air.

"Lady Natalya!" The two looked up to see Toris spiral down from the sky, Russia right behind him. The two landed nearby. "Lady Natalya!" Toris cried again as he ran toward his mistress. Russia surveyed the scene, his childish eyes dark and sinister.

"You are fighting, France? With whom?"

"Her," the Serperior indicated the bear, "She's a powerful mother bear."

Russia chuckled. "You have messed with the cub I am to be assuming?"

"Not entirely."

"Mother or not, no one is to harm any from the Drakon family," growled Toris. France was momentarily surprised by the sudden show of fierceness from the meek dragon. The Beartic snarled again but was either too tired or unable to handle two more opponents. She quickly turned around and fled back into the forest. Once Toris was certain the bear wasn't returning, he approached the Dragonair. "Lady Natalya, are you all right?"

"Hmph," snorted Natalya, "I am fine. I do not need you taking care of me; I can do that myself. Now go away."

"Her wing got hit by one of the attacks," France informed the Flygon, and Natalya glowered at him. France shrugged. Proud or not, she needed that injury checked. Toris inspected the frozen wing.

"Don't worry. It isn't completely frozen." He used his claws to scratch off chunks of the ice. Soon the feathers were free from their frozen confinement. "Can you fly?"

Natalya flexed her wing a little. "No, it is still too cold. I'll just return home on the ground." Toris nodded, and he and Russia agreed to carry the logs home. As they walked back to the mansion, France started to fall behind. Russia took notice and did the same. When the two were a few steps behind, France whispered to him.

"Russia, there's something I need to tell you…"

* * *

_Niama_ – "No" in Belarusian

_Vy_ – "You" in Russian

_Aidez-moi_ – "Help me" in French

"Spotlight: Katyusha the Altaria and Natalya the Dragonair" - These two dragon sisters have the conjoint role as heads of the Drakon family…or what's left of it. Though they are of the same litter as Toris and Eduard, the order of their hatching determined who was to be the head of their generation. Katyusha takes after her mother in both appearance and nature; she's very caring and extremely passive to the point of apologizing for faults she didn't commit. Despite her docile nature, though, like all the previous heads in her family, she's a very strong battler. And while she's not the true head, Natalya can be just as tough as her sister if not more so. She asserts her authority only a little bit more than her sibling but even then it's rare, and she will always submit to the older if the two ever challenge each other. Katyusha and Natalya are the only remaining biological siblings of the Drakon household.

Confession time: I had no intentions of uploading this chapter today; it was going to go up next week. However, I was informed of something quite upsetting, something that will end with me having virtually no access to the internet for a while. Worse, I have no idea how long this will last. I decided it would be better for everyone if I updated now than wait who-knows-how-long until I can use my computer again. So I regret to say "Hetamon" will be put on suspension until this all sorts out. I have no intentions of letting this story die, however, and I will continue with a new chapter as soon as I can.


	13. Chapter 13

I'm afraid I still don't have any reliable access to the internet, which bites like you wouldn't believe. But I'm serious: I have no intentions of letting that stop me from updating this story. Thank you all for being very patient with me. It means a lot.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

Canada, Katyusha, Eduard, and Raivis were having a good time in the greenhouse. The structure was just large enough to hold enough food for one month or so Canada was informed. The nation watched the three family members split and effortlessly perform each of their tasks. Raivis went over to where a group of shoots were growing and examined each of their stems and leaves, making sure none of them had frost. Those that did he would lightly flick his tail by to melt the ice without burning the crop. In another corner, Eduard was watering the stalks of more mature plants. He had his head pointed upward, spouting water from his elegant snout. The water fell down like a shower; to Canada, he vaguely looked like a fountain sculpture. In the center, Katyusha was picking the ripe blue and pink fruits off of fully mature bushes. She gingerly plucked each berry with delicate care, placing them in a very shallow puddle of water to clean them.

She had beckoned Canada over to her. The latter obliged, hopping his best over to her without bumping into or knocking down any of the crops. If only there was enough room in here to fly.

"We need to have all these picked by this evening," the Altaria indicated the multiple rows of ripe berries, "So you can help me with this. These blue berries are very tough, but you must be being very gentle with the Pecha berries, the pink ones right there."

"Okay. I tend to handle things carefully; I think I can manage." Canada managed to get himself beside several berry bushes. "Um, how do I pick them?"

"Can't you see me do it?" Katyusha asked curiously.

_You mean pluck them with my mouth?_ Canada thought, raising a brow skeptically at Katyusha. The dragon reached out and, in full view, plucked another fruit off.

"That is how it's done," hummed the Altaria. Canada nodded.

_Yep, with my mouth._ He leaned over and as softly as he could grabbed one of the Pecha berries. It was as soft as a peach to the Togekiss's surprise. Actually, he misjudged its firmness—it was much softer. When he pulled himself back up, he accidently squeezed too hard, and the fruit burst, its contents splattering over his muzzle. Katyusha began to laugh while Raivis and Eduard stopped their work to see if everything was okay. "S-sorry," Canada apologized, blushing profusely.

"No, no, it is all right," giggled the blue dragon, "We have plenty more, so don't worry. But…you look silly with the fruit all over your face. But taste it. It is good, yes?"

Canada licked some of the juice, and the delicious sweetness momentarily made him forget about his blunder. "It's really sweet! Almost as sweet as my maple syrup back home."

"Of course it's sweet. We only use the Pecha berries for dessert toppings, so we don't grow very many," Raivis said, joining the two in the center, "But they're my favorite fruit. We also have Yache berries if you would like to try one." He picked up one of the blue berries in the pile. Canada bit into it, mildly surprised by how firm it was. He ate a piece before making a face.

"It's kind of dry. And is it supposed to be a little sour?"

"Yes. I guess you need acquiring the taste first," Katyusha replied. "Raivis, could you run in and fetch a basket, please? I'm almost done with the first row."

"Yes ma'am," nodded the Charmander, and he scampered out of the greenhouse. After rubbing the berry juice off his face, Canada opted to help Katyusha pick the Yache berries instead. The process wasn't all that bad the more Canada did it. It was a steady rhythm of plucking and placing, and Canada felt oddly calmed by the task. Yes, he was doing it with a family of dragons, but the whole atmosphere was serene and tranquil. It was like he was part of the family, helping them persevere through the harshness that was their home.

Several minutes later, as Canada was just wondering what they planned to do with all the picked fruit, Raivis returned, no basket in hand. He burst through the door. "Lady Katyusha! The others have returned! I think Lady Natalya's been injured!" Canada and Eduard looked up from their work, confused by the sudden outburst, but Katyusha was already gliding behind the young Charmander. Eduard dove under to reach the underwater entrance, and Canada quickly followed out through the door as well.

Indeed, the four who had left were making their way through the snow. Natalya was on the ground slithering, and both she and France looked oddly worn. One of her wings was held at a slight downward angle. "Sister!" Katyusha flew to her sibling, wrapping her wings around her neck. Natalya stiffened slightly and looked away.

"I am fine, sister Katyusha."

"Are you hurt? Did you injury your wing?"

"Do you need any treatment?" Raivis asked.

"Lady Natalya's wing has been frozen," Toris explained, "It just needs some warming up, nothing more." The Dragonair didn't bother to thank him for explaining things for her.

"That's a relief," Canada commented, glad nothing too serious happened during their outing. He watched as the family gathered around Natalya to ask if she wasn't in any pain. He noticed, too, how France and Russia, standing a few feet away, seemed strangely quiet and grim. France was the first to speak.

"Pardon me for sounding indifferent about the ordeal we just went through, but I believe it's time we get some answers. Particularly from you two." He added the last part with a glare towards the two sisters. With the exception of Russia, everyone else looked very startled by the statement.

"What are you talking about? Answers to what?" Canada asked the Frenchman, looking between him and Russia. Did they know something he didn't? But the two ignored him.

"Shortly before we were attacked by that bear, its cub told me its entire family wanted the three of us—" France pointed to himself and the other two nations, "—dead. He said it was by the orders of the Master."

"What?" Canada was completely lost and now growing concerned. What exactly happened while they were gathering wood?

"You mentioned, when we first met you, how we were stranded in your Master's Kingdom," Russia continued, his tone carrying none of the deceptive innocence, "It is safe to assume that you and the bear cub were referring to the same Master, da?" Natalya's eyes widened just a bit as if she realized she was caught red-handed with something. Canada, in contrast, narrowed his eyes, catching on that something was amiss. "So France and I were thinking maybe you have some sort of part in this plan to murder us? If so, then we have caught you, and it would be better to tell us everything now. We may not know much of this kingdom, but we are not weak and will not go down easy, even against those who've helped thus far."

Canada had a tough time not shivering from the very effective (albeit poorly concealed) threat. The Drakon family was silent: Eduard and Raivis looked nervous, and Toris kept shooting glances at his mistresses. Katyusha and Natalya were staring unyieldingly back. "I assure you as the eldest member and thus speaker of the Drakon family that we are not participants in whatever schemes our Master has created," Katyusha answered with cool confidence. "We have given hospitality out of good intentions, not deception."

"But if he is your Master, what is to say that you will not eventually have to obey his orders?" questioned France. Neither Katyusha nor Natalya could reply. "And it is that we fear. We do not believe you had any ill-will towards us when we met, but we cannot be sure it will stay that way if your Master decides you must bring us in. All we ask is that you tell us a way for us to return home; that way, all of this will be resolved. Or, if you can't do that, at least a way to prevent your Master from sending more bears to kill us."

* * *

"What should we do, Lady Katyusha?" Eduard wondered. It was later in the day, and he and the rest of the family were at the kitchen table. The nations were in their rooms, probably discussing their own plans. They had given the dragons until tomorrow to make their decision to either help them return home or protect them from their Master's wrath until they could leave. Katyusha's head was bowed as she was deep in thought. Natalya shook her head in frustration, yet the sling around her injured wing held firm.

"I didn't think the Master would want them dead," Raivis whispered, staring down at the ground.

"Me neither," muttered Toris. He shifted his attention toward the ladies. "I am guessing we will have to be telling them about him eventually."

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to tell them at all," Eduard looked at his adoptive brother; Toris sighed in agreement. "I was wondering how we could even go about preventing the Master from attacking if he desires them gone so badly. We would need an excuse—a very sound and logical excuse as to why we would be disobeying his orders. Without one, then we too…"

"There has to be a way," Natalya growled, "A way so that they can stay here and not have to worry for their lives."

"You'd rather them staying here than going back to their world?" Toris asked incredulously.

"And you know of a way to send them back home? Let's face it: we know as much of getting them back to their world as they do. Don't you think if it was so easy to travel between worlds we would have seen the Other Side by now? We can't get them home; the best we can do is protecting them and making them as happy as possible here."

"Lady Natalya, are you sure that's the best strategy?" Eduard dared to speak against. "I agree we don't know any means of sending them home and that we should make them feel at ease. But can we so easily rule out not helping them return home?"

"But what can we do, Eduard?" Raivis asked him, "I like them, so I don't want for them to be sad. But I can't help wondering what could possibly be making them sadder: knowing they can never get back to the Other Side or knowing their lives will be in terrible danger?"

The family went silent. After a minute, Toris spoke. "I don't think either news will make them happy. But I believe sending them home, even if it's putting all our lives at risk, is our topmost priority. Lady Katyusha," he turned toward the de facto head, "I have an idea. We may not know of a way to send them back to the other side, but there is a possibility someone else does. If we can find this person, then, as Mister France put it, all of this will be resolved. We may once have been a powerful and noble family, but surely we couldn't have been the _only_ family the Master brought here. We just need to locate this pokémon, maybe convin—"

"In a world of nothing but tundra, it will be something to find anyone not from the Beartic tribe," huffed Natalya. "And none of our ancestors spoke of another family. As far as we know, it's only been us and the Beartic. I think I may have a plan so that they can stay here, without angering too much the Master."

"You can't be seri—" Toris was about to argue, but Katyusha held up a wing.

"We must listen to her idea, Toris, just as we have listened to yours. We are dealing with not a simple disobedience; this is a potential transgression against the Master's laws. Sister Natalya, what is your proposed plan?"

The Dragonair nodded. "I was thinking perhaps we could convince the Master to let us marry them. Think about it—our request will not be unreasonable. We could say we wish to preserve and expand the Drakon family. And in the Master's eyes, he will be gaining three more subjects who would swear their loyalty to him. We will be keeping our ancestors' promise. The Master will have no reason to harm them. And our family will survive. I am certain you have thought along these lines as well, sister."

The Altaria bowed her head again, not denying the claim. "But there is no guarantee our family will survive."

"It can. Me and Russia—we are of the Dragonite lineage. The odds of that happening, as rare as we are…it must surely have been fate that we met. And you too, sister; you and Mister Canada are of the flying descent. As for Mister France, I'm sure his swearing loyalty will be enough without the need for marriage."

"Somehow I don't think that plan will work out too well," Eduard mumbled under his breath; Natalya heard and glowered at him, causing the Kingdra to duck underwater in fright.

"That is what I say. You may agree otherwise, but I am trying to look out for this family as well as the lives of our guests," finished Natalya.

"As am I," said Toris, "Which is why I believe we should send them home, not you two marrying them. If the Master does not agree to the arrangement, then two parties will be in trouble."

"But Lady Natalya has a point; if they stay here, two parties will also be satisfied," spoke the young Charmander. "Call me selfish but I don't want for them to go; I like having a larger family again."

"I think the biggest question here is what will Misters Canada, France, and Russia be wanting to do," Eduard interjected, "There's no doubt in my mind what they will vote for, which is why I believe we need to help them as best we can."

"At the cost of this family?" Natalya was growing dangerously upset. "We had to watch our family slowly die off for years, and now you want to throw away this miracle? Katyusha and I are the only ones left who can repopulate the House. We each now have a potential mate. We each now can have offspring, survive through the next generation, and keep this world and the Other Side in balance. Or did you all forget that for every member who dies and isn't replaced, the worlds have one less shield of protection?" The ferocity burned within Natalya's eyes. "Sister, you are the only one who has not spoken."

"I am aware," the family head replied calmly. Her levelheadedness was both refreshing to see as well as ominous in meaning. "And I have decided…"

* * *

Sorry, no extras this time. And I know– this was a very short chapter. Please forgive me for leaving it on a cliff hanger like this. Next time we'll get to see what America, England, China, and the others are up to…


	14. Chapter 14

******Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

It was a good thing Kaoru was leading the way up the mountain; otherwise, England would have given up on this plan. It wasn't so much the difficulty of climbing that annoyed him as much as how few footpaths there were for him. Kaoru and China were both smaller creatures than him, making them more agile and comfortable leaping across ledges and climbing precarious boulders. England was restricted to the one path before him– _he_ was slowing the group down. Furthermore, this only path had sharp stones jagging out of the walls and ground, forcing him to carefully maneuver around them. Thank goodness the two ahead were able to clear some of the obstacles for him.

"How much further?" the Gallade called out as China finished destroying an obstructing boulder with his learned Focus Blast. Kaoru looked up toward the summit and pointed.

"Not far I think. I, like, see the guarding post."

"Is there a way to get up there faster?" asked China, realizing it would take another hour or so to reach it at their current pace. It wasn't supposed to be taking this long. The goal was to split into two groups: one went to visit the Braviary Tribe, the other to the Mandibuzz Clan. They'd use the entire morning gathering clues about the children's deaths and, if possible, dissuade the leaders from initiating war. When evening came, they'd return to Mei's village, go over the evidence, and determine the real culprit. Then resolve this entire ordeal by tomorrow morning. But it was almost noon now, China fretted, if the position of the sun was any indication. That left them…

* * *

"_What!?" America expressed everyone's shock when Mei returned and explained her meeting with the queen. "The Mandibuzz plan to attack in two days?"_

"_Did you tell her we're trying to help them?" China asked._

_Mei sighed, nodding her head. "I did. I asked Queen Mandibuzz to reconsider, that we are looking for a safer solution, and that battle will be disastrous for everyone. But she says she can't negotiate with murderers." The Shaymin fumed. "She has the nerve to ask me to join her side but not try and seek a peaceful solution, stating my status will get the Braviary to reconsider messing with us. I told her the same thing I told the Captain: we won't join either side."_

"_Bet she took that well," muttered Peter, but to his surprise, Mei smiled._

"_Actually, she did. Angry as she is, she understands this is not our battle. She and her group left without any commotion."_

* * *

It couldn't be helped. Another hour had to be wasted before the trio reached the guard's post. Upon England stepping over the last ledge, a Mandibuzz spiraled down to the group, stopping their progress. "Halt!" she ordered, landing atop a boulder before them, "State your business for traveling across these grounds."

"We wish to speak to your queen," England candidly answered.

"I'm sorry, but the queen has no time to speak with you lot. She's busy preparing for war right now. I suggest you leave until notified of the war's end."

"But it's about the war," insisted England, "We're trying to help end—"

But the guard was adamant. "I'm afraid we simply don't have time to listen to any requests you or the villagers may—"

"We're here to help your cause!" China shouted angrily. Everyone froze and stared at the Mienshao. The guard blinked.

"You're…here to help our cause?" she asked, understandably skeptical. China nodded with confidence.

"Of course, aru. We wish to talk to the queen and tell her we plan to join your side. We don't think what the Braviary did was right, and we're going to assist in your battle. Is that satisfactory enough for us to pass, aru?" The guard was flustered as she looked between the faces of the three pokémon. England kept his as impassive as ever and even gave a small nod, confirming China's story. The guard flapped her wings in embarrassment and pointed toward a side path that led further up the mountain.

"Th-then I will inform the queen of your arrival." She flew away and the three took the side way.

England made sure the guard was out of earshot before whispering to China, "China, I hope you have something in mind. Otherwise, we'll be in something way over our heads that I for one don't particularly look forward to."

"Don't worry, aru, I have it covered," China replied back under his breath. "And I don't think we should be concerned about joining their war. We just need to get to the nest as soon as possible right now. Once we discover the perpetrator, we'll be able to avert most of the fighting anyway."

"Let's just hope that we'll get enough evidence to, like, stop them," uttered Kaoru before sighing. "Do you think your friends are having better luck?" The other two had looks of apprehension.

"That depends on whether or not America can stay focused on the task," muttered the Mienshao.

"But if Peter's anything like Sealand, we might be in trouble." England grimaced at the thought neither of the boys would be of any help. Maybe he should have gone with one of them if only to make sure they didn't mess this all up.

"Well Yong Soo's with them, and he'll make sure the two stay on track," Kaoru said.

"Really?"

The Mienfoo shrugged. "I'm not sure; I doubt it. I just thought you would have liked to hear some optimism."

* * *

"And that's why we're here," Peter finished with a chirp in his voice. Captain Braviary cocked a brow. He didn't look completely disbelieving of the three in front of him, but it was obvious he needed a bit more convincing.

"So let me see if I understand you boys: you two—" indicating America and Peter, "—wish to join our cause against the Mandibuzz?" They nodded. "Now, I remember you, Keldeo boy; you wanted to join earlier."

"That's right, sir!" the Keldeo grinned.

"But you, fledgling, had defended the Mandibuzz. What made you change your mind?"

"I met the Mandibuzz queen herself yesterday," answered America. "She was nice, but I didn't approve of the way she tried coaxing Mei into siding with her. A little underhanded for me." Which was mostly true– America didn't think it was right for her to separate Mei from her assistants and then try to convince the Shaymin to join the war when she clearly didn't want to. "That's why I figured it was time for me to join my own kind."

The Captain beamed at the duo before turning his attention to the third guest. "And you?"

"I'm just here as Mei's rep," Yong Soo played off very smoothly. "I'm supposed to observe if it's in our leader's best interest to align with you." The blue Braviary nodded in understanding.

"I assure you it will be. You said you just needed to look around my son's nest? Let me take you there." For the three, it was an awkward silence as they ascended to a small area that had once been clear. Now all that was there was a crumpled nest completely crushed underneath a landslide of boulders. A fully-grown bird wouldn't have survived the crushing rocks, let alone a baby one. America couldn't help catching the Captain flinch as they approached the pile. "…Here's Rufflet's nest. I give you as much time as you need to find out what or who was the cause for my son's death."

"Thank you, sir," America replied, tone completely serious, "We'll certainly do our best. Also– I know it's not my place to say this, but why don't you hold off from attacking the Mandibuzz. It wouldn't be right warring with them if you're doing so out of grief. Isn't that called revenge?"

"Maybe that's what this is then," Captain Braviary remarked coldly before flying back to his own nest. Peter got straight to business.

"Alright everyone! Time to find those clues pointing to the Mandibuzz!"

"Hold up, da-ze. We still have to prove that it was them. For all we know this rock slide was naturally caused." The Combusken raised a fair point. But how were they to find the clues? Search under every pebble until they found a footprint? Scour the ground for brown feathers?

"But that'll take forever," complained Peter once America gave said suggestions.

"You have a better idea?" The Keldeo pouted, having no answer for the Braviary's question.

* * *

England was at a loss. No red, white, or blue feathers anywhere. No signs that the rocks had been tampered with. All that was here was a pile of rocks over what used to be little Vullaby's nest. As he, China, and Kaoru continued lifting the rocks away, he began to wonder if anyone did mess with the boulders at all. Maybe the bird was just missing and the rocks happen to have come down while she was gone. No, that was impossible– a guard would have found her earlier, assuming they patrolled the entire forest. Regardless, so far the evidence stood that the Braviary had nothing to do with this.

While moving the rocks with Confusion had been great practice for the Gallade, it was still more tiring to do than he would openly admit, so he took a quick rest leaning against a cleared part of the wall. They'd been worried at first of finding the mutilated remains, but so far they haven't found a speck of anything. Then again, they haven't cleared half of it yet; there was still time to find something.

As the breeze behind him picked up, he wondered if the three of them—and the other nations for that matter—were ever going to return home. Assuming they actually make it out of this possibly upcoming war, they still had to get through the desert to find some questionable archaeologist to give them the instructions to go back in time to find their friends before they use some magical stone that lets its user travel through dimensions. Going through that in his head one more time he realized that didn't make a lick of sense. Another thing that didn't make sense was how on earth could there be a breeze behind him if he was leaning against rock?

He checked his back. Yes, there was in fact a steady stream of cool air blowing, but it was not coming from directly behind him. He got on his hands and knees and began to feel where it was coming from.

"What are you doing?" China asked, pausing in his work to watch England crawl toward the pile. The Gallade pushed his hand in a tiny space between the mountain and the rocks.

"Here," he muttered. Then turning to the other two uttered, "Over here. There's air coming from behind this rock." At first China was confused as to why that mattered before it registered that rocks don't make wind; it has to come from somewhere. He quickly fired a Focus Blast at the spot, crumpling a few of the boulders. England took care of the rest with Confusion.

"Well that's certainly odd." In front of them was a dark tunnel, perhaps just big enough for Vullaby to crawl through. "Hello?" England called out into the tunnel.

"I doubt she'd be able to hear you," said Kaoru, "She's probably inside the mountain." England groaned. There wasn't much else of a choice now. Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves he began to crawl into the tunnel. There was just enough room for him to do so, but it would be a pain for him to crawl back out if it turned out there was a dead end. China and Kaoru were lucky to be small enough to walk on four rather than pull themselves with their elbows.

England was probably four feet into the cave before he could barely see what was in front of him. "Great," he muttered. Kaoru must have heard him.

"What is it?"

"I can't see anything. For all we know this tunnel can wind all over the place."

"That's true. Hey, you, like, better hope it doesn't get narrower. How annoying would it be if you ended up stuck?" England paled at the thought. Why hadn't he thought of that beforehand? Too late now though. Just worry about each move at a time.

It was a slow crawl forward. One arm forward. Pull. The other arm forward. Pull. More than twice England felt someone—probably China—trip over his legs. There was no room to look behind and see who it was. And with no light to look ahead, England was ready to suggest turning around and—

"Aaahh!" He had moved his arm forward only to discover no ground below it. And with his body having shifted most of the weight, there was no way to regain his balance. He fell forward.

"England!" China quickly latched onto England's legs, and Kaoru grabbed the Mienshao's tail, but even their combined weight wasn't enough to pull the Englishman up. All three fell into the dark abyss.

* * *

America thought things could be moving along a lot worse. It's been almost half an hour of them moving the rocks away. Peter was able to kick the smaller rocks with his hind legs. And Yong Soo used his sharp claws the smash them open. The American carried off the slightly larger ones. But something kept nagging at him as they worked. The rocks in the slide were of a different texture from the rest, and they also weren't as firm. Theoretically, all of the rocks should be the same, right?

"Hey dudes, I want to see something real quick." America flew to a higher section of the mountain, close to where the fallen rocks originated. He scrapped his claws against the surface.

Something was very wrong. Even up here the mountain's texture did not match with the rocks'. "Something's not right," he said as he swooped down to rejoin to other two. "These rocks aren't of the same texture as the mountain."

"How do you know, da-ze?" Yong Soo asked him. "They look and feel the same to me."

"Look the same, yeah. But I can somehow feel that they're different. These rocks aren't as sturdy. If I had to take a guess, both these rocks and the mountain rocks are of the same composition but different…I don't know, ages?"

"What do you mean?" The Keldeo blew away more rubble. They were making faster progress now. "Rocks can't age. They aren't living or pokémon."

"Maybe not, but they do age just like peopl—I mean, pokémon—do. And I know that older rocks are nearer to the top. But these boulders aren't as old as they should be. In fact—hold on one more second." He took off again, this time diving down toward the base of the mountain. A minute later he was back, carrying a small and broken off piece of rock. He tossed it before the two. "Feel that and compare it to the rubble."

They did. "It feels the same," Peter pointed out.

"Actually…" Yong Soo had a slight frown. His claws so delicately etched their way down the rough surface. "No…America's right. It's hard to notice, but the rocks aren't identical. This is less grainy."

America nodded. "That's right. But here's something even stranger: this rock was from the bottom. It's roughly the same as the rocks near the top, making them the same age, which isn't very surprising. But why is it these rocks we're moving are, assumedly, younger than the rocks below us?" The other two were silent.

"Gah! It doesn't matter, does it? Right now we need to find out what happened to Vullaby," Peter impatiently reminded them. He released a particularly powerful blast of water, shifting nearly all of the rocks. They tumbled forward. When the dust settled, America, Yong Soo, and Peter were all surprised to find a small tunnel behind them. "Ha ha! Yeah! I did it!" Peter ran for the hole.

"Wait up!" yelled America. How the heck was he supposed to get in there? He supposed he could bend low and enter that way, but…

…But he didn't have to think about that. Peter ducked in, and about five paces into the dark hole he suddenly vanished, and the two could hear his echoing cries as they got further and further away. Yong Soo raced in in alarm, and the same thing happened again. Not able to abandon his partners, America approached the hole. It was a tight squeeze, and his wings were pressed firmly against his sides, but he pushed himself inside, barely able to claw his way forward.

One, two, three, four…

There was no fifth step like he supposed. Only a sheer drop onto a very steep slide. He plummeted, the tunnel now wider than it was before, though still not wide enough for him to open his wings and hover. He slid on his stomach against the rough stone, more amazed he hadn't yet gutted himself against the rocks. Aside from his own cries, Peter and Yong Soo's could be heard as well, though he couldn't see them. And in the back of his mind, he hoped that there was some sort of exit at the end of all this for them.

They slid for no more than a minute before other echoes could be heard as well. Familiar echoes. Coming closer. Like they belonged to—

"Ouch!" Peter yelled out in pain. Something must have collided with him. "That hurt!"

"Who—ow! Peter?"

"What's going—ugf!—on here?"

"China!?"

"America? Ouch!" It seemed everybody was crashing into everybody as they tumbled down the dark slide. But at least there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Wait…when was that ever a good thing?

"Yaaah!" Everybody was thrown out of the mountainous rollercoaster tunnel, falling and landing in a clustered pile. Somehow England ended up at the bottom.

"Why does this seem to happen to _just_ me?" he grumbled. The others achingly rolled off him. After getting to their feet, they all looked around the large cavern in mild shock. It was huge, probably as large as a football field. Eerie neon blue crystals were—quite literally—floating around the place, producing a strange humming noise and occasionally a spark of blue electricity. Even more oddly than the rocks was the vast amount of vegetation in the cave. Small but tropical-like plants and trees grew around the circumference of the cave, with grass covering the floor in large patches.

Everyone was impressed. "This place looks beautiful," breathed the Combusken. Kaoru walked up to one of the hovering blue stones and placed his paw against it. Static danced around it but he otherwise wasn't hurt.

"Chargestones," he observed. "These are, like, pretty rare crystals. They're one of the few rocks that can support limited amounts of life."

"And with so many of them here, no wonder this place is filled with plants," Peter observed. He looked behind them. There was a tiny creek that weaved from the mountainside to around the trees where it seemingly just cut off. If he had to take a gander, the water probably continued underground. That would explain how the grass and such got its water.

There was rustling from one of the bushes, causing everyone to freeze. A gasp, and then a tiny white and blue blur leaped out from the foliage. It awkwardly ran to America and wrapped its wings around him. "See? See? I was wight! My Pa was able to find us first." The baby bird looked up at the American. "Wait, I don't wemember seeing you at the nest before."

Another bird walked out from the brush. She glared at the adults. "You awen't Mandibuzz. Where's my Mammy? Did she send you here?" The missing children seemed to be taking the predicament they were in relatively well, not to mention didn't seem the least bit bothered by the fact a bunch of strangers suddenly appeared from the roof.

"Um, are you Vullaby by any chance?" the Englishman pointed to the little brown vulture. She was wearing, unmistakably, a giant skull around her posterior as if it were a diaper. The chick nodded curtly.

"And you're Rufflet?" America asked the eaglet.

"Yep!" was the cheerful reply. He hopped back to the baby vulture's side.

"That's great! Both your parents think you're dead, you know that?" Both England and China whacked America. "What!?"

"Your parents are worried sick about you, da-ze," the Combusken clarified. "We came here to find you. They'll be relieved once they know you're safe, da-ze. You can go home!"

"Oh." For some reason, both children looked less than enthusiastic. Peter pointed this out.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to see your Mammy and Pa again?" Rufflet shuffled his feet, but Vullaby answered for them.

"We do. But we don't want our Mammy and Pa to tell us to stop pwaying. Wuff'et and I wike pwaying with each other, but our pawents don't. We never get to anymore." She paused, readjusted the skull she was wearing, and then continued. "When I fell down here after the wocks fell, I was scared. But Wuff'et said he fell down here too 'cause of the wocks. So we weren't scared anymore. And Mammy wasn't here to yell at us to stop pwaying."

"Yeah!" Rufflet agreed. "Pa couldn't tell Vuwaby to go home, so we could have as much fun as we wanted! At first we thought our pawents finawy wet us hang out together, but then we wondered if they wost us. We twied yewing, but they couldn't find us."

"The rocks outside," England noted to the group. "The Braviary and Mandibuzz couldn't hear them because the boulders were blocking their voices." He then crouched down to the level of the baby birds and said gently and calmly, "I know you may not like it, but we need to get you both back to your nests. Your parents are about to start a war over your whereabouts, something that is by no fault of your own. You need to return home before that happens." Rufflet and Vullaby moped at the prospect of not being able to see each other again. "Now then." He looked up at the hole in the ceiling they came through. "Do you think you can fly through that hole up there?"

"I can't fwy very well," Rufflet admitted.

"I can't fwy at all," Vullaby replied.

"And I don't think I'll be able to fit through the hole on the other side," America pointed out. The Gallade groaned. There was also the nearly vertical tunnel they'd have to crawl through.

Rufflet spoke up. "But hey! We can show you something."

* * *

"Spotlight: Mei the Shaymin"- Mei is the so-many-great granddaughter of the village founder, the original Shaymin who fought in the Battle of the Sealing. She is often seen as calm and collected, a trait she shares with her father, the previous head of the village. Mei considers the valley her small home is located to be relatively peaceful, even with the rivaling tribes—the Braviary Tribe and the Mandibuzz Clan—present on the two surrounding mountains. As a young Shaymin, Mei befriended the two children of the clans' leaders; those two later came to be known as Captain Braviary and Queen Mandibuzz. It was due to their friendship toward Mei they begrudgingly put aside their families' differences. But just like her ancestor, Mei is not one to tolerate violence. Rumor has it that she can transform into another form—called the Sky Forme—when conflict arises. Only two people have seen this other form: her friends and assistants Kaoru and Yong Soo.

Okay, this chapter is…definitely not one of my favorites. I'm not sure if it's because everything feels rushed or if it's because I really want to move on with this group…oh well. Oh, and if if the speech of the two babies is too hard to follow, please let me know and I'll fix it. Thank you all so much for your support and patience! You guys are truly wonderful!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Pokémon, or any of the characters present. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

* * *

"Here it is!" The small eaglet led the group to a sealed pathway that was high up on the wall on the other end of the cavern. Just like before, a huge pile of boulders blocked the exit. "So? What do you think?"

"That might just get us out of here," England nodded. He, America, China, Yong Soo, Kaoru, and Peter went to work clearing the blockage. As they moved the rocks, England couldn't help noticing America's uneasy look. He stepped over to the eagle after tossing aside more of the rubble. "What's wrong?"

"These rocks are the same," was the immediate answer. "They feel like those near the nest. They aren't old at all." England had no idea what he was spouting on about.

"Care to explain?"

"I noticed the rocks outside weren't the same age or composition, even though they come from the same mountain. It's hard to explain, but somehow the older rocks are below the younger ones. These rocks we're moving are young, however, so this doesn't make sense." England supposed what he just said was pretty important, but he couldn't fathom how.

Because of the sheer size of the pile, it took much longer for the group to clear everything away. But there it was: the possibly-only-escape from the mountain's interior.

"Someone's going to need to lead in case there're more rocks inside," voiced Yong Soo. No one disagreed, and the Combusken took several paces back before rushing at the mountain wall. He scaled the rocks, the talons on his feet digging into them as he ran up, and soon he reached the hole. "There's enough room for everybody to crawl through," he called down. With that said, Kaoru sprang up after him. The nations were surprised how high he could jump, reaching the entrance with only a single bound.

Peter also had no problem reaching the hole. His hooves shot out powerful streams of water, and he essentially propelled himself up toward the hole. China, following Kaoru's example, leaped up, almost overshooting the entrance. "Wha!" he yelped, barely making it onto the ledge.

"You okay?" Peter asked him.

"Yes, aru. I just didn't think I was able to jump so high." The four turned back toward the ones still on the ground.

"So how do we get up there?" Vullaby asked the two remaining adults.

"The hero will give you a lift!" America bent low so England could lift them up and put them on his back. America had to flap hard to get airborne, but once he did, he hovered near the exit so the baby birds could hop off and into the outstretched arms of Yong Soo. During that time, England used his powers to levitate himself to the hole.

"Everyone set?" he asked aloud. The others nodded. With Yong Soo leading the way and America bringing up the rear, progression through the tunnel was slow but steady. The path was mostly slanted upward, and the two chicks kept stumbling over their own feet as they walked. And if it wasn't the slope then the fact the only source of dim lighting came from the thin stream of fire Yong Soo blew out was bothersome as well. Yong Soo had to stop periodically to catch his breath, leaving them in complete darkness every couple of minutes.

After more than half an hour of trekking through the tunnel—mostly the children and Peter complaining how long it was taking—Yong Soo reached a dead end. "Stand back, everyone," he said out loud. His claws glowed brightly, and the others backed away. "My Rock Smash should do the trick, da-ze." He delivered a well-aimed blow, and the rocks _cracked…cracked…cracked…_

…crumbled away. Blinding sunlight poured in from the large hole, and everyone turned or shielded their eyes from the onslaught. "We're…we're out!" All the others grinned; no one reprimanding America for stating the obvious. Their mission was complete. Yong Soo and England helped lower Vullaby and Rufflet to the lower ledges, where they then hopped down onto the grass below. The group had ended up near the base of one of the mountains. They weren't too far away from Mei's village in fact.

The nations were about to join the others on the ground when an unexpectedly reverberating _BOOM!_ echoed through forest. They all looked up to see white smoke rising over the trees. "Wook!" Rufflet's wing was pointing to something higher above.

A huge flock of birds were soaring animatedly, circling and diving between one another like wild aerial dancers. But this was far from a ballet in the sky. Beaks jabbed and talons tore as the Manidbuzz and Braviary engaged each other in fierce combat.

"What's Mammy doing?" the Vullaby wondered, her haughty voice slipping into a childish squeak. In the distance, the group could see powerful dark beams being launched by the Mandibuzz. The destruction the missed ones caused could be heard and felt, even from this distance.

England was the first to refocus. "We need to get these chicks out of here."

"You got it, da-ze! Come on, Kaoru," Yong Soo beckoned his friend over. After grabbing the children, they sought the trail back up their respective mountain.

America bent low again. "Get on. We gotta stop the two tribes, like, right _now_. Mei's village is in danger." After only a moment's hesitation, England climbed and straddled onto his back. Not quite sure what to hold on to, the Englishman wrapped his arms firmly around America's neck. He could feel the muscles around his wing joints contracting and relaxing as he flapped. It almost surprised England how smooth the movement felt, as if America had been doing this for years rather than two days.

America took a powerful leap off the ledge and fell, his broad wings catching the wind at almost the last second. He skimmed over the grass and slowly climbed in altitude, careful not to send his rider tumbling off his back. They reached the vast, open air relatively quickly, but the war between the birds had escalated just as fast. One Mandibuzz was tailing after a Braviary soldier, firing dark pulses of energy at him. The first Braviary evaded wildly but stayed on course, leading his unwitting pursuer into the attack range of another Braviary waiting above. Elsewhere, two opponents were literally locked in battle: their talons were entangled as they each tumbled down and tried to drag the other with it. Shrieks and cries rang out as attacks hit their targets.

"This is utterly barbaric," growled the Gallade. All of this because of some rivalry and two lost children? "And what the heck happened to holding off the fighting until tomorrow?"

America nodded in agreement. "We need to find the Queen and Captain. Where do you think they are?" They scanned the skies, barely able to distinguish the Braviary and Mandibuzz from each other. "There!" It was very hard to tell from this distance, but at the far side of the battling, two birds clashed. The Mandibuzz was almost impossible to tell apart from the others, but the clearly blue Braviary fighting her was attacking with everything he had. "Hang on tight."

"America, what are you—?" But England didn't finish his question before the American dove straight through the sky battles. Several of the Mandibuzz turned their attention from their own battles to stop him. Two tailed after him, their beaks wide open as dark energy pooled inside. England looked back. "Watch out!"

The American tilted left, just missing the twin attacks. A Braviary came out of nowhere and chased the two away. England sighed in relief before spotting a third Mandibuzz sneaking in on America's blind spot. "Above you, America!" America grinned and continued his leftward tilt until he circled up and over the vulture zooming in on them. He was now gliding upside-down over her. But in his excitement to do a wide barrel roll, he forgot all about England.

The other nation couldn't hang on. He fell off of America's back, hitting the bird below him before rolling off. He tried to focus his mind and let his magic slow his fall, but he wasn't able to conjure the magic in time. He almost hit the uppermost branches of the forest trees when a brown blur stopped his descent. He grabbed onto the rough feathers beneath him as it swooped back up.

"Need a lift?"

England peered down at his savior. "You again?"

The Mandibuzz from yesterday winked. "Yep. You're Mr. England, friends with Misters China and America, aren't you? Why are you in this battle?" England pulled up, firmly readjusting his hold to her.

"We were trying to prevent this. You and the Braviary need to stop. We found your leaders' children; they're both alive and well and back at their nests." The Mandibuzz's eyes widened. "Can you take us to your Queen?"

"I could try, but the leaders are strong. They won't let anyone interrupt their battle. On top of that, the Captain's flock members will most definitely try and stop me. There's little chance I can get you all the way there."

"Still try." Stiffening her wings, the friendly vulture lifted upward until she was level with America. "We're going to try and reason with the Queen and Captain," England informed him.

"Gotcha. I'll cover you." The two birds slightly tucked in their wings, decreasing resistance and picking up speed as they honed in on the fighting leaders. As the Mandibuzz predicted, two Braviary soldiers dropped down to block the female and England. America took down one of them by tackling him. This gave England and the Mandibuzz enough time to attack the stunned Braviary, blasting him away as well.

Another red-and-blue eagle swooped down, and America took care of him without too much problem. But this time a Mandibuzz came from below and jabbed at America's underside with her beak. The allied vulture had to circle around and knock her comrade off of the American. "Don't attack him! He's helping us."

"How?"

"The Queen's daughter and the Captain's son were found. We need to inform them." Snorting, the attacking Mandibuzz flew off, but by the time England and his ride turned around, another wall of birds had popped up between them and the leaders. And another volley of Braviary were ready to descend upon them.

"Stay back!" America positioned himself between the eagles and his friends. But they ignored his cry, one going so far as striking him with a glowing wing. He hit America squarely in the chest. America balked, the wind knocked completely out of him. The other two warriors zoomed in on England, to which the Mandibuzz jerked upward and brought her talons forward. She slashed at the two attackers, and she wasn't afraid to use her powerful beak when they bypassed her claws. But two against one was still an unfair fight.

England sat up straighter, ready to defend his ally, when one of the Braviary snuck up behind him and charged him forward up and over the Mandibuzz's head. The Englishman didn't have any time to react, and soon he was again falling through the air. And no one could catch his fall this time.

He fell, smashing into twigs and branches, and crashed onto the ground. If not from the whippings of the trees then certainly the impact with the ground made him too stunned and bruised to even move. It was a miracle he wasn't dead.

"England? England? Are you alright?" He was very tempted to give a sarcastic reply. He struggled to sit up.

"Ah!" The pain shot up him the moment he moved his twisted right leg, and he nearly dropped back down with a gasp. Mei was soon there by his side.

"Can you use Heal Pulse?" The Gallade shook his head. "Then hold on. I'll get some help." She had to leave him for several minutes; England spent that time tensing every time the pain flared or a bird soared overhead. At last, "I'm back!" The green-and-white hedgehog returned, accompanied with a pink and cream-colored rabbit of sorts. "Lei-Lei is the village doctor; she'll heal you." The bunny kneeled down and placed her hands over the injured leg. A warm, golden aura pulsed out, and a comforting feeling washed over the area, numbing the pain.

When she lifted her hands, England stretched his leg. It felt like it was never injured. "Thanks," he nodded toward Lei-Lei. The rabbit bowed politely. Turning to Mei, he said, "Mei, we found the children. They were underneath the mountain the whole time."

Mei was silent for a moment, then, "England, I need you to help me with something. I might be able to stop my friends from fighting, but first I need the Gracidea Flower."

England stood. "How's a flower going to help? Is it a peace offering?" But the leader shook her head and faced back toward the village from where she came. Slightly confused, England scooped the creature up and ran back toward the village. Most of the villagers had fled their homes, many of which were crumbling or destroyed from stray attacks. One was smoking like it was on fire. "How…?" England started to ask, really wanting to know how that was even possible, but Mei nudged his left arm, telling him to move in that direction. He did so.

He ran through brush and shrubs, completely clueless about where they needed to go. "How much further?" he asked.

"Not far," was the reply, "We need to reach the pillar." England decided he'd just wait to see this pillar before he questioned more things. And she wasn't kidding. Going past the vines and the two reached a very small area devoted to a shrine. Two thin stone pillars, designed vaguely like scepters, were on either side of a much thicker and slightly taller one shaped like a totem, though none of them reached past England's shoulders. The totem pillar had a small hole on top, which England could see nothing but blackness through, and a wrapping of sharp, thick thorns around its base. Mei leaped out of his arms.

"Few know of this area's secret. Only Kaoru and Yong Soo are allowed here with me." She sniffed around the middle pillar. "Cut the brambles right here," she instructed, pointing. The nation briefly wondered why this was necessary, but he clenched his fist, and a second later, a blade extended out. He swiped at the bramble, sending pieces flying as he slashed again and again until they were all chopped to bits. England could now see a small hole at the bottom of the pillar. "The Gracidea is in there. I'm too big to go in and get it. Can you pull it out? But be very careful– the flower's very fragile."

"You haven't told me what's so special about this Gracidea flower," said the Gallade as he reached a hand inside. His arm wasn't that much smaller than the Shaymin's body, and after a bit of forcing it in, his fingers clasped something thin. As delicately as he could, he snapped the stem out from the dirt and dragged it out. The flower was very beautiful: pink with broad, flowing petals that curved back. It gave off a distinct, sweet aroma, and England couldn't help a feeling of pleasure forming. "It's beautiful."

"Let me smell it." England handed the flower to her. Pollen floated about like golden dust. Mei inhaled the delightful scent, and without warning her body began to glow. England gasped in surprise, taking a step back from the unexpected sight. Mei's form grew taller and slimmer. The flowers by her ears narrowed and widened again, resembling antlers or wings of sorts. The grassy fur along her back receded save for a small bit on her head. When the bright light faded, England was staring confusedly at a creature that vaguely resembled a mix between a deer and a Jack Russell terrier.

"M-Mei?" The creature nodded.

"Thanks England! Smelling a Gracidea lets me change into my Sky Forme. I couldn't have done it otherwise." Without flapping her wings, she somehow became airborne. She hovered in the air just above England's head. "I'm going to try and stop my friends. This might not go too well, so I might need your help."

The Gallade gave a quick nod and followed after the Shaymin. Mei was flying ahead up above. She soon spotted a Braviary and Mandibuzz pair diverting the assaults of their own comrades. "Whoa! Mei? Is that you?" The Braviary paused in his fight long enough to check. The Shaymin nodded. "You look awesome!"

"Chieftess Mei," the Mandibuzz bowed her head briefly before returning her attention to the pokémon attacking her, "I wondered if I'd ever get to see you in your battle form."

"I was always more concerned with the 'when' rather than 'if'," Mei replied with mild coolness. By now, the closer tribesmen were hesitating, seeing the leader of the neutral village amongst them in Sky Forme. "Warriors of the Braviary and Mandibuzz tribes, cease this at once!" the Shaymin called out. Her echoing voice carried in the wind, and everyone nearby halted.

England managed to catch up down on the ground, spotting the Shaymin talking with the birds from beneath the tree limbs and leaves. The sound of galloping hooves caught his attention, and he spun around to see Peter running up to him with China riding on his back. "Yong Soo and Kaoru returned the chicks home," China informed the Brit. "Was Mei able to stop the leaders yet?"

"No." He pointed a finger up. "She just now got the others to hold a ceasefire." The other two looked toward the sky where the birds were hovering in a circle around a white and green flying dog of sorts.

"She can change forms _too_?" Peter's mouth was open in astonishment. But China wasn't concerned about that.

"Where are the leaders then?" England couldn't answer. That's when Mei suddenly zoomed off, and the warriors surrounding her flew in the opposite direction, away from the village. One of the Braviary happened to spot the group and spiraled down to just above the trees' tops.

"Guys! Mei's off to reason with the Captain and the Queen. She said she may need our help in restraining them."

The Keldeo bucked in excitement, and China nearly slid right off him. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, everyone!"

America flew in the direction that Mei had, and the others followed his shadow. "The two of them flew some ways away; I can barely see them," the American shouted. He was keeping pace with his friends, but England could tell he wanted to soar after Mei in a heartbeat. As they ran, it truly felt they weren't making any progress at all. Finally did they catch the faint sounds of two beings battling. "Turn right just past this large tree. You'll reach the edge of the woods soon enough if you do." The others took his advice and quickly enough made it to the tree line.

Swerving and dodging up in the sky were the Queen, the Captain, and Mei. The bird leaders seemed to completely dismiss the Shaymin and all her efforts to negotiate deliberations. America landed on the ground by his friends. He would wait with the rest of them for Mei to give the signal to intervene.

"My friends, I know you're angry, but you need to stop battling. Your children have been found. They are safe and well at your mountains, I swear. We can still work something out." The Queen made a noise of disgust before rounding on her and the Captain.

"Work something out? I don't even think you understand the frustration—the _loathing_—I have towards these heathens! They have no consideration for the maintenance of the sacred mating grounds. They regulate and terrorize the skies as if they own them. They harass my members constantly with their brute strength. The numerous complaints I receive _each_ and _every_ night because of some misconduct his so-called warriors do to them is more than enough to ruffle my feathers and make me want to shatter some bones. I try to keep things cordial, but you, Captain, are making that too difficult."

"And what of you?" scoffed the Captain, "Are those not your Mandibuzz who steal catches from my flock after a tiresome day of hunting? Is it not them who leave their kills scattered about, preferring the taste of rotting meat over fresh? Areas around these parts are starting to smell like old meat, which is scaring off prey. And what do you mean by 'sacred grounds'? The mating lands are just ordinary strips of land; there's nothing hallow about them. If given the chance, you'd probably treat it as another place to toss your bones."

"How dare you!" shrieked the Mandibuzz queen. She folded in her wings and shot like a missile toward the Captain. Mei intercepted her. "Move, Mei!"

"Not until we settle this out peacefully," she replied heatedly. The Queen knocked her away with a slap of her wing.

"And as I said before, we will not. You know not of the pain I feel; what do you know what it's like to find the one you precious most nearly killed by your worst enemy? We will settle this our way."

The eagle stretched his wings, gaining altitude. "Indeed." He, too, clasped them to his side and, faster than any had the chance to blink, streamed through the air like a bullet. His claws sliced into the Queen's side, the latter unable to dodge the blinding-speed attack. He circled around, about to fly again when the wind, as sharp as blades, slashed his backside. Squawking, he spun around. Mei was hovering behind, an expression of irritation quite obvious. "Stay out of this, Mei!"

The Queen was coming back from below, her talons inked with a shadowy-black aura. The Captain twisted in the air as he dodged the vicious swipes. Eventually, he extended his own claws forward, entangling them with hers. They tumbled through the air for several minutes as they each tried to overpower the other in their clash. The vulture queen, below her adversary, fired a close range Dark Pulse to his face. The Captain screeched, burned and blinded by the dark tendrils, and released his hold. He fell and lay crumpled on the earth.

This was their moment! England, China, and Peter ran out of the safety of the forest so as to subdue the Captain. They were, however, maybe three meters from reaching the fallen bird when he turned to them and opened his beak, firing a powerful beam of yellow-orange energy at them. They dodged to the side with England leaping out of the way of the powerful Hyper Beam at the last minute. The intense heat it emitted could be felt even as he rolled away. The Captain rose to his claws and flapped. He soon reentered the sky battle.

He aimed another Hyper Beam at the brown bird. But the attack never hit– wind as sharp as razors cut through the beam, dicing it away into oblivion. Mei zipped past the Captain. The Queen zoomed forward toward her, her wing aglow. She again battered the Shaymin away from their quarrel. "Stop interfering."

A bruise was forming on Mei's right wing. "I will once you agree to listen."

"Mei!" The leader of the village glanced down. Kaoru and Yong Soo had appeared with the other four down below. The former had his hands cupped, preparing an attack.

"Wait, Kaoru, hold on!" But the Mienfoo directed a searing Focus Blast at the Mandibuzz, who suffered heavy damage when she took the blow. "No, stop!" Ignoring her orders, Yong Soo spat out a dancing spiral of flames. Captain Braviary countered by flapping his wings, generating waves of heat that consumed Yong Soo's fire and scorched the forest behind them. The trees went ablaze in seconds.

"Just what we need," China uttered darkly, looking at the growing flames.

Peter spun on his hoof, yelling over his shoulder as he ran back toward the woods, "I'll handle the fire. You guys help Mei when she needs it."

"Well, I'm tired of waiting." America flew into the fray. Before either combatant could register the newcomer, America barreled right into the blue Braviary's chest. He flashed a quick apologetic look at Mei before twirling around and grabbing the Mandibuzz's wings. The vulture struggled in his clutches, but it was too firm. "Sorry, Mei, but it's time to take some action. Sometimes you need to use some force if you want others to listen." He flung the queen toward the ground. England, already prepared, created a green ring around the falling creature that ensnared her and slowed her descent. He and Yong Soo would deal with her.

The American spun around to properly disable the Captain, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. "No! Look out, America!" But it was impossible for him to evade the Aerial Ace. And the Captain struck again. And again. America's wings started to numb from the sudden, painful blows.

"You'd betray your own kind for that creature?" the Captain scowled as he circled. America worked to keep pace with him, always keeping himself positioned between him and the Queen so the former couldn't make a cheap shot.

"I'm not betraying you. But I won't let you hurt her or Mei. Just listen to us, why don't you? Rufflet's safe. I saw him myself. He's a good kid, really, and friends with the Queen's daughter. You know, you two could really—" But the Captain stopped listening after the mention of his sworn enemy. A bright neon blue aura covered his entire body. He charged at the Queen.

"America, move!" China yelled. He took a great running start then bounced into the air as high as he could go. So great was his leap that he leveled with the diving bird quickly. As planned, China intercepted the blow; unfortunately, he miscalculated the time it would take for him to counter with a move of his own. He was essentially powerless when the Braviary rammed into him full-force. The Mienshao fell, somersaulting through the air as he did, and crashed into the earth. He didn't move.

"China!" both America and England wailed out. The Mandibuzz, taking advantage of the distraction, broke free from England's temporarily weakened magic. Yong Soo couldn't keep her contained alone. She easily brushed the two off their feet and took off. America landed as the others rushed to check on China. That one attack heavily injured him. "What in the world sort of attack was that?" the Englishman asked.

"Brave Bird," the Combusken answered grimly as Kaoru struggled to lift China up, "It's his most powerful move. The Captain must be really mad now to be using it."

The birds faced each other once more. Both their wings were glowing brightly when, in the blink of an eye, Mei zipped between them. They faltered. The Shaymin bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I really don't wish to do this, friends, but you've left me no choice." Suddenly, there was a whole swarm of Shaymin zooming about in the sky. The eagle and the vulture hesitated, confused as to where the real Mei was. Glowing petals arose from the flying canids, and the surrounding air was transformed into a dazzling, hypnotic arena. Thanks to the magical leaves blowing about as well as the multiple Shaymin zipping in and out of sight, it was near-impossible for the two to keep their attention focused on any target for long. They lashed out, blindly attacking anything and everything that moved.

The ones below looked on in amazement at the spectacle. It looked more like a performance the way the bright petals floated about, how Mei and her clones dodged the attacks, how they fluidly countered back by spitting large balls of green energy. But even England could see that the dance couldn't last forever– Mei's copies were slowly but surely being eradicated faster than she could create new ones. At this rate, she was going to—

"When we give the signal," Yong Soo's voice broke through his thinking, "cover your eyes." Though understandably puzzled, England nodded and prepared himself for something spectacular to happen next.

The Captain eliminated the last of the clones. "Wha—where did she go!?" He and the Queen scanned the skies. That is until they finally looked up. Not far above them, eyes closed in concentration and body glowing with energy and sunlight, Mei hovered, the petals on her side absorbing dark particles from the surroundings. The more she absorbed, the brighter she glowed until soon it was like there were two suns in the sky.

"Cover your eyes!" Mei's assistants called out together. Kaoru placed his paws over China's eyes and closed his own as the others looked away. They couldn't see it but they could feel a warm wave of energy crash into them. Then it escalated into a practically scorching shockwave, so powerful they were almost sent to their knees. And the light that accompanied it was so bright it could be seen even through their closed eyelids. A few seconds later and there were two muffled _thumps!_, the sound of two feathery bodies hitting the dirt. With the light diminishing, England dared to look. The Captain and the Queen were each lying slightly burned in a heap. Neither seemed to summon the strength to rise up as Mei glided down.

Not wanting to take any chances, though, the group quickly secured the defeated leaders, England conjuring magic rings around them so they couldn't escape. Mei stepped forward, the frown on her face stern and deep but not mean or cold-hearted, like a mother who's just about to scold her child.

"I have had enough of this," she said firmly, voice low and menacing, "I tried to keep things peaceful between us, but neither of you wanted that. Why anyone would forsake peace for violence is bewildering, but you two were so caught up in your families' past you managed to astound me. You have put to stake the lives of not only you and your tribes but also me, my tribe, these guests, and your children. You would so readily go to war over such a nominal misunderstanding that I have half a mind to cease all trade and communications with both your tribes and let you struggle to find the goods you need for your clans' survival.

"But I am not that type of Pokémon, and as much as my mind tells me to leave you, my heart says otherwise. We were friends once; we proved it is possible for the Braviary and the Mandibuzz to live peacefully. We established trade, further confirming this. And your children, despite your tribes' history, despite being forced to live on different mountains, willing chose to create and maintain a bond of friendship. Your children, my Captain and my Queen, have more qualities befitting of a leader than either of you. It would do you both wonders to observe them playing in a field rather than scold them for attempting to forge a future of peace with each other."

She looked down at the Queen. "You said earlier I didn't know what it was like to nearly lose something precious. That's not true. I nearly lost everything precious today: my home and forest, my villagers, and, most importantly, the bond as friends that we share. I kept telling myself that you two would see the error of your ways. I thought you'd realize you were fighting with little reason behind it and would come to your senses. I was willing to help negotiate things out with you once you did. But America has made a point– sometimes you have to push back if you want others to listen. But I will ask you this one last time: are you ready to talk this out?"

Queen Manidbuzz and Captain Braviary were stupefied, staring at the Shaymin like she grew a second head. The eagle was the first to blink and regain his voice. "I…we have been acting rather…'foolish' would be an understatement at best…"

"Agreed…" the Queen murmured. "My poor Vullaby probably thinks I'm a heartless monster because of the way I scold her when she talks on about your son. And this war started _because_ of my fear of losing her. If anything, I will put aside this feud just so our children can at least grow up with the opportunity we surrendered long ago; the chance to become dear friends." The Captain gave her a brief look and an even briefer smile.

"For my Rufflet."

America and Yong Soo cheered, England and Kaoru smirked, and China was slowly waking up. "Dude! China, you missed it! Mei finally managed to get the two to sit down and listen!" Mei chuckled lightly. China quickly shook off the dizziness and stood up by himself.

"So what now?"

"Now?" the Shaymin replied, going airborne, "Now we go help Peter and save the rest of this forest." They all eagerly concurred, the Captain and the Queen more than anything ready to repay her for all the trouble they caused and then some.

* * *

Yes! Finally! The group is done with this side quest! It didn't help that this is one of—if not the—longest chapters written. (As some of you may know, this arc lasted a little longer than I wanted it to). I rushed through editing this time around, so if there are any mistakes or something is written particularly sloppily, please tell me.

So classes will be starting up again real soon. I can't make any promises that updates will continue to be every 2-3 weeks, but I'll try my best to adhere to that schedule.

What do you say we check back in on the Axis next chapter? Until next time!


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